


Way of the Aura

by SilentGhostWriter2017



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alola-chihou | Alola Region (Pokemon), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Ash is also a coordinator, Ash is both strong and competent, Ash starts off his journey older, At some parts, Aura Guardian Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, BAMF Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Canon Rewrite, Chosen One Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Different Starter!AU, Fluff and Humor, Galar-chihou | Galar Region (Pokemon), Houen-chihou | Hoenn Region (Pokemon), Isshu-chihou | Unova Region (Pokemon), Jouto-chihou | Johto Region (Pokemon), Kalos-chihou | Kalos Region (Pokemon), Kantou-chihou | Kanto Region (Pokemon), Lance is Ash's Uncle, Legendary Pokemon, M/M, Orange Shotou | Orange Archipelago (Pokemon), Pokemon Journey, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Reachshipping, Shinou-chihou | Sinnoh Region (Pokemon), Slow Burn, Surfsupshipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 72,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26390308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentGhostWriter2017/pseuds/SilentGhostWriter2017
Summary: Instead of getting Pikachu on his first day as a Pokémon trainer, Ash Ketchum finds himself Aura-bonded with a Riolu one innocuous night. This little detail sets off ripples of change that completely shake up his journey to greatness. While being a Pokémon Master has a nice ring to it, being an Aura Guardian throws open a completely different set of experiences that will shape this adolescent into a man of power feared by those who wish to bring harm to the world.This is Ash's story, of how he became the greatest Aura Guardian since Sir Aaron, his tribulations travelling the world, and finding people who he would share his heart with forever.(So apparently, we have a TVTropes page now. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/WayOfTheAura)
Relationships: Citron | Clemont & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Dande | Leon & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Touki | Brawly, Dent | Cilan & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Eureka | Bonnie & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Hanako | Delia Ketchum & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Haruka | May & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Hikari | Dawn & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Iris & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kasumi | Misty & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kenji | Tracey Sketchit & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kibana | Raihan & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Masato | Max & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Ookido Yukinari-hakase | Professor Samuel Oak & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Riolu & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Takeshi | Brock, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Touki | Brawly
Comments: 361
Kudos: 387
Collections: Anime FF





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OasisLake76](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OasisLake76/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Journey of the Guardian](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/681319) by dragonwolf12. 



> Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any related content or characters. Everything belongs to the Pokémon Company, Satoshi Taijiri and Ken Sugimori.

A teenager’s thirteenth birthday was a momentous occasion for every individual in Kanto.

It was the day they were legally allowed to leave home and pursue their dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, to catch Pokémon and train them up for battle against other Trainers. And perhaps, with the right training, grit, strategy and a lot of luck, clinch the top spot of their region’s Champion and become certified as a Pokémon Master.

While there were other professions involving Pokémon, being a Trainer was the main draw. As superficial as it was, the fame of being on top was a great enticer.

Kanto, just like every region on the planet, would see wannabe trainers descending upon Pallet Town to the laboratory of Professor Samuel Oak to collect their starter Pokémon - Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle. But for one particular boy named Ash Satoshi Ketchum, native of Pallet Town, his journey to greatness started off a little bit differently.

* * *

Riolu stumbled to the ground, breathless and in pain.

Hours before, he had escaped from the clutches of a Pokémon poacher after she arrived in Kanto. In his haste to get away, Riolu had no idea where he was. While anywhere out of the poacher’s reach was better, he needed to find help immediately. He had been attacked by numerous wild Pokémon since his escape, and his injuries were being aggravated by being in the open and exposed to the elements. If he didn’t find a human who could treat him soon, he could succumb to his injuries.

Picking himself up with great effort, Riolu stumbled across the wind-swept plains, hoping to find any sort of civilisation or settlement. His luck turned when he saw a series of lights just up ahead. Despite his pain, Riolu pushed on, struggling towards the town where possible salvation stood.

After fifteen minutes, Riolu reached the edge of Pallet Town. There weren’t any humans walking along the dirt trails, and the only lights that were on were those hanging over the doors of the small number of houses that dotted the town. None of the windows had lights on behind them, indicating that virtually everyone was asleep.

Riolu grimaced, feeling his aches acting up again. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Entering the town proper, the young emanation Pokémon wandered through the trails with Aura Sight activated, hoping to find someone whom he could turn to for help. At first, Riolu had no success, until he came to another unremarkable house near the centre of town. Looking up to the second floor of the house, Riolu spotted a figure that was glowing a light blue. 

His ears perked, whoever this person was, they had Aura within them. Perhaps they could help.

Then came another problem. How was he going to get into the house? He was too short to try the door, and it was probably locked anyway. The only way to get to this Aura-bearer was to climb up to the second-floor window. But Riolu was injured...did he dare attempt a jump up to the second floor in such a state?

…

He didn’t have much of a choice.

Ignoring his aches, Riolu bent down, and leapt up onto the roof. Barely keeping himself from sliding down the roof tiles, the emanation Pokémon paused to let the pain recede a little before straightening up. Padding up to the windowsill, Riolu tried to peak in, but his view was shrouded by curtains. As the aura-bearer was directly inside the room, Riolu leaned against the glass with one paw, and with the other, began tapping on the window.

At first, nothing happened, so Riolu tapped even harder. Then came noises from inside the room. Footsteps approached the window, and the curtains were pulled apart. 

* * *

Eleven-year-old Ash Ketchum was in the midst of his dreamscape when the sound of tapping popped his slumber bubble. He shifted a bit, making a soft noise as he tried to go back to sleep, only for the tapping noise to return, louder than previously. 

Sitting up, Ash rubbed his eyes as more tapping came from his window. Slipping out of his messy bed, Ash sauntered, half-asleep, over to the window and drew apart the curtains. Whatever sleepiness he had quickly evaporated when he noticed a small, blue and black-furred canine-like Pokémon perched on his windowsill. Ash had never seen such a Pokémon before, but any curious thoughts were pushed to the back-burner when he saw how injured and scraped up it was. 

Ash quickly opened the window, letting the Pokémon inside...or rather it stumbled into his room. He quickly came to its aid, “Hey, hey, take it easy, you’re hurt.”

The Pokémon slowly picked itself up, turning to stare it's emerald-green irises at Ash’s honey whiskey-brown ones. To Ash’s slight confusion, it approached him, and without any warning, pressed its paw into his chest.

The room exploded with a bright blue glow.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

  
  
  



	2. Kanto 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riolu Aura-bonds with Ash, and a new chapter opens for our protagonist.

_The Pokémon slowly picked itself up, turning to stare it's emerald-green irises at Ash’s honey whiskey-brown ones. To Ash’s slight confusion, it approached him, and without any warning, pressed its paw into his chest._

_The room exploded with a bright blue glow._

* * *

The moment the Pokémon pressed its paw into his chest, Ash’s mind went white. 

Then came a burst of excruciating pain.

It took everything and more for Ash to not scream in agony. It felt as if he was being punched, whipped and kicked by an unknown assailant from all sides. Brief flashes of images raced across the whiteness, almost like memories of some sort. Then, just as suddenly, came a great blast of energy, knocking the white and images away and returning Ash back into his senses.

He stumbled back against his bed, panting hard. The pain was slowly receding now, but his head was still spinning. Ash felt something touch his knee, and he opened his eyes.

The Pokémon was still there, gazing up at him.

“W-What…did you do to me?”

_“I’m really sorry…I had to do it.”_

Ash’s eyes widened, not expecting the young, masculine voice, “Wait, you can talk?!”

_“Telepathy, Ash…”_ the Pokémon corrected, _“I-I’m a Riolu, and I had to bond with your Aura to allow you to understand me.”_

“Bond…like a connection? And what is Aura?”

The Riolu nodded, though before he flinched, and fell to the floor, breathing laboriously.

Ash was immediately by his side, “Where does it hurt?”

_“E-Everywhere,”_ Riolu groaned, _“I-I was attacked by wild Pokémon. Ash…it hurts…so much…”_

“Hang in there, Riolu! I’ll wake Mum up!”

* * *

Delia Ketchum expected a number of things when her son burst into her room crying for help. One would be that Ash had a really bad nightmare and needed someone to comfort him. Another would be that he got hurt somehow (she could think of many scenarios). And more involved Mimey getting into some sort of accident and Ash required her assistance.

But the one thing she never expected to see upon waking up and turning on the light was seeing what looked a young canine-like Pokémon in Ash’s arms, trembling in pain from the many scrapes and cuts dotting its entire body.

“Ash, what’s that?!”

“It’s a Riolu, Mum! Please, we got to help him!”

Pushing all questions out of the way, Delia was out of bed in an instant. Ash followed his mother out of the room, downstairs towards the kitchen. Mimey was awoken from his little room by the commotion, stepping out while rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Mimey! I need your help with the bandages!” said Delia.

The Mr. Mime took one look at the injured Riolu, and after a squeak of surprise, quickly went to grab a roll of gauze from the first-aid medical cabinet. Delia had produced several bottles of antiseptic spray and potions, and were applying them to Riolu’s injuries. The Emanation Pokémon winced and bit his tongue from the stinging, but trooped through with some comforting from Ash. Mimey wrapped the gauze around the healing wounds, patting them done once secured.

“Ash, what is this Riolu? Is it a Pokémon?” asked Delia.

Riolu nodded for the boy.

“And how did you get it?”

“I found him on the windowsill, tapping on the glass,” Ash replied, “He was hurt really badly, from attacks by wild Pokémon.”

Delia tilted her head, “How do you know it was Pokémon attacks?”

“He told me.”

…

…

“I’m sorry, what?”

“He told me, through telepathy,” Ash replied, “Riolu bonded with my Aura…at least that’s what he called it.”

“So…you and Riolu are connected?”

“I guess?”

…

…

“Mum?”

“I’m sorry, Ash. It’s just that I’ve never heard of such bond where telepathy is possible.”

Ash considered his next thought, “Do you think Professor Oak would know?”

“We could ask, but that will have to wait until morning.”

“Is there anything else we can do for Riolu?”

“I don’t think so, Ash. Rest is probably what it needs now.”

“He,” Ash corrected, “Riolu is male.”

“Oh! Sorry, Riolu.”

Riolu made a reassuring noise.

“Come, you can share my bed, Riolu,” said Ash, picking up the young Pokémon and leaving the kitchen.

* * *

The rest of the night came and went fitfully for Ash, who constantly woke himself up to check on the sleeping Riolu that shared his bed. Admittedly, he was still a little sleepy when morning came, but a cup of tea alongside his breakfast solved the matter quickly.

It was also an interesting sight to watch Riolu be introduced to dried Pokémon food. However, what interest quickly turned to horror when the young Pokémon told Ash that he hadn’t eaten in two days. When Delia found out through relay, she mother-henned Riolu into eating multiple servings. His injuries had clouded any hunger pangs, but now that he was healing, Riolu’s stomach was growling.

After breakfast, Delia, Ash and Riolu trooped through the town and up the hill to Professor Samuel Oak’s laboratory. The revered Pokémon researcher was mid-way through his first mug of coffee when the Ketchums arrived.

“Samuel? Are you in?”

“Delia? Is that you?” Oak was surprised to hear that his former student was paying him an unexpected visit, and came out to meet her, “What brings you here?”

“I’m really sorry for showing up unannounced, but we have an unusual situation that we hope that you can help us.”

“Well, I’ll certainly do my best, Delia,” Oak grinned, “How may I assist you?”

Ash stepped forward, with Riolu in his arms. The look on Oak’s face became curious.

“Interesting…what do we have here?”

“He is a Riolu, Professor,” Ash replied, “He appeared on my windowsill last night.”

Oak rubbed his chin, “I’ve never heard of such a Pokémon before. Let me check my Pokédex.”

The professor pulled out a red touch-screen device and scanned Riolu, who buried himself into Ash’s chest in an attempt to hide from the device. After a second or so, the Pokédex completed its scan, but produced an error message instead of the expected description.

“Huh, my Pokédex doesn’t recognise this Riolu,” Oak remarked.

Discerning that the device wasn’t going to hurt him, Riolu padded Ash’s shirt to get his attention, _“I’m not from here.”_

“Then where are you from, Riolu?” asked Ash, catching Oak’s surprise.

“He can understand it?” he turned to Delia.

“Telepathy,” she corrected, “That’s what Ash told me last night when he found Riolu. Apparently, Riolu bonded with his Aura so that he could communicate with Ash.”

“Aura? I’ve never heard of such a thing before,” Oak remarked.

_“Some place called Sinnoh,”_ Riolu replied.

Ash nodded.

“What is he saying, dear?” asked Delia.

Ash relayed Riolu’s answer, but it didn’t serve to sate Oak’s curiosity, “How did Riolu end up in Pallet Town then? Sinnoh is really far off from Kanto.”

The young preteen was quick to notice the haunted look in the young Pokémon’s emerald irises, _“One day, a human captured me when I was out looking for berries to eat. I tried to escape, but she beat and whipped me relentlessly for my attempts. She then put me on a boat alongside other captured Pokémon, saying that I will fetch a high price in something called an auction in Kanto because I am a rare Pokémon from Sinnoh.”_

Ash’s mouth fell open in horror.

“Ash, my boy, what’s the matter?” Oak asked worriedly.

With a shaky voice, Ash relayed the horrifying revelation to his mother and the professor. Both were, understandably, shocked. Oak had to sit down to settle his nerves.

“Fucking poachers…”

“Samuel!” Delia was scandalised at the swear in the presence of a child.

“Sorry, Delia.”

Ash cradled Riolu closer, “Professor, is it possible to track down the poacher? We were taught in school that poachers can face years in prison if caught.”

“Do you recognise her, or remember any discernible features?” Oak asked Riolu, who shook his head, “Unfortunately, without any identification, tracking the poacher will be next to impossible. Kanto is a very big region. She could be anywhere by now. For all we know, she may not be even in Kanto anymore.”

Silence befell the room.

“But if the poacher is still in Kanto, what if she comes looking for Riolu?” asked Ash.

_“I don’t think she’ll come looking for me,”_ Riolu interjected, _“I managed to escape when one of the other Pokémon broke free of their cage and caused a stampede on the boat. In the chaos, my cage was broken, so I slipped off the boat and got away while she was distracted.”_

The preteen passed the translation on to the adults. Oak nodded, but was still uncertain, “Even so, we can’t dismiss the possibility that this poacher would not return.”

“So what can we do? I’m not allowed to have Pokémon until I’m thirteen,” said Ash.

“In most ordinary circumstances,” Oak conceded, “however, there is a loophole we can use to our advantage. How about becoming my research assistant, Ash?”

“Research…assistant?”

“That’s right,” Oak nodded, “To be honest, I am getting on in my years, and I am not as active as I can be. I’m going to need an assistant who can aid me in my continued research on Pokémon throughout the region and the world. Once you are certified, you are legally allowed to have one Pokémon by your side at all times.”

Ash was relieved, but Delia was curious, “Samuel, I get why you’re offering this to Ash, but what about Gary?”

At this, Oak looked off with a wistful expression, “Gary’s head has unfortunately grown big thanks to our relation. As he stands, he wouldn’t take the job seriously with his ego and pride. Ash, on the other hand, is hardworking with his studies and Pokémon, and is humble. He is willing to learn from his mistakes and improve himself and the Pokémon he works with. He is the perfect candidate to take on the role!”

Ash blushed, but didn’t refute the researcher’s words. Gary had once been his childhood friend, but his inflated ego had all but severed their friendship. It didn’t help that Pallet Town was small and everyone knew one another. Gary was outspoken, so the children always flocked to him. Ash on the other hand, was more reserved. While he wasn’t bullied or teased by most children, they preferred the more outgoing Gary to the introverted Ash.

“I-I’m honoured that I’m worthy for such a position, Professor.”

“I have strong faith that you can do it, Ash. Of all people in this town, if there is anyone who can understand Pokémon best, it is you, my boy. Plus, with Riolu by your side, you will be able to communicate with Pokémon even better. Your contributions to Pokémon research will be invaluable in furthering the overall understanding of the creatures that we share this planet with. So Ash, what do you say?”

It didn’t take long for the preteen to come to a decision, “I accept! And I won’t let you down, Professor!”

“Splendid, Ash,” Oak smiled, “I expect many great things from you.”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kickstarting the story off for real now, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Stay safe, and take care everyone.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	3. Kanto 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snapshots of Ash and Riolu's life following Professor Oak's decision to make our protagonist his research assistant.

It didn’t take long for Ash to be certified as Professor Oak’s assistant. While it did require a call to the local school to transfer the preteen’s education to under Oak, the process was done within hours. Oak even had a lab coat commissioned for Ash to wear, signifying his role under the researcher’s tutelage.

As Pallet was a small town, news spread quickly. The adults were happy for Ash, congratulating him whenever they crossed paths with the preteen. Many of the children were curious and in awe over Ash’s new position, though there weren’t without the critics too.

In particular, Gary Oak did not take the news well.

As Ash found out on his first day working under Oak, grandfather and grandson had gotten into an epic argument the night before. Gary had demanded why he wasn’t given such a position, and threw up a huge tantrum when Oak told him firmly that he needed to grow out of his overinflated ego before he could be entrusted in such a role where the wellbeing of Pokémon is at stake.

Gary didn’t stop there either. Not satisfied with being shot down by his grandfather, he accosted Ash at every possible opportunity, hoping to get a rise out of the boy who stole what he thought rightfully belonged to him.

Thankfully, it never went beyond verbal insults. Gary wasn’t the strongest kid in Pallet Town, and Ash knew how to throw a punch if pushed in that direction. But it happened so often that eventually, Ash’s patience came really close to breaking.

Riolu was just chilling on Ash’s bed when said preteen stormed into the room and slammed the door shut.

_“Ash? What’s wrong?”_

Ash sat down on the bed with a frustrated sigh, “Gary is being right asshole! Does he have nothing better to do than to insult me all the time?!”

Riolu shifted closer to his bonded, _“Ash, you need to calm down.”_

“And why should I?” Ash snapped without realising it.

The emanation Pokémon remained calm, _“Your Aura is building up into dangerous levels. You need to regulate your breathing to reduce the tension before your Aura explodes.”_

Even though he was still seething, Ash did not forget the consequences of having one’s Aura explode. Ever since returning from that fateful meeting with Professor Oak, Riolu had been introducing him into the practice of training his Aura. One of the most important lessons Riolu had taught him was to always remain level-headed. When emotions run high, a person’s Aura often reacts in kind. Aura can expand like a balloon until it explodes, which can cause untold destruction to the person holding the Aura and the surrounding area. Riolu had told the story of an adolescent reducing his entire village to rubble when his uncontrolled Aura exploded in a fit of anger.

Right from the get-go, Riolu had told Ash that his Aura reserves were unusually large for an eleven-year-old. It was still to raw to be used physically as a manifestation, which was where the training came in.

_“Breathe with me, Ash. In, and out. In…and out…”_

Even with the growing urge to punch something, Ash followed his bonded’s guidance. It took five minutes, and the violent thoughts slowly relaxed and dissipated. Granted, Ash was still annoyed with Gary, but at least his Aura had stabilised.

_“Feel better?”_

“A little bit.”

_“Let’s meditate. It will calm you further and help you train up your control over your Aura.”_

Thinking a bit more rationally, Ash did not question further. He joined Riolu on the floor, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes. The first time they did meditation, Riolu instructed Ash to empty his mind of all thoughts, positive and negative, regulate his breathing in time with his heartbeat, and bring out his Aura to the forefront of his consciousness.

At first, Ash was confused on how to bring out his Aura. The first time round yielded no results, and all Riolu told him to do was to keep trying. While his frustration was evident during the early days, Ash learned to let go of it and push on. Finally, a week ago, the tiniest speck of blue appeared in the darkness. From there, it continued to grow until it was the size of a tennis ball at the present moment. It would have grown more had it not been for his control to maintain the current shape and not go beyond what he was capable of.

In the silence of the room, both human and Pokémon sat still, breathing slowly and deeply until they were practically in tune with one another. Two glowing orbs of blue light grew from their hearts, and lit up the room with a shimmering aqua.

At that precise moment, Delia came up to call Ash and Riolu down for dinner. But upon seeing the room shrouded in blue light, she quietly closed the door and retreated back downstairs. Perhaps she’ll return fifteen minutes later.

* * *

“Hey Riolu?”

_“Yes, Ash?”_

“How would you like a name?”

Riolu paused his reading, _“A name?”_

“Yeah,” Ash sat up on his bed, “Some people like to give their Pokémon names. Usually as a sign of just how close a relationship they share. And since we are Aura-bonded, I just thought that it sounds fitting.”

The emanation Pokémon fell into thought for a moment, _“It’s your choice, Ash.”_

“Well…how about Luka?”

_“Luka?”_

“It sounds similar to the ‘Luca’ in Lucario. And it has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

Riolu considered it for a moment, _“I like it.”_

Ash beamed, “Great! Luka it is then!”

* * *

“Luka, can Aura be used in physical attacks?” Ash asked while on assignment at the Xanadu Nursery just outside of Pallet Town.

The Riolu brushed a paw over a flower, _“Of course. As a Riolu and later a Lucario, Aura forms the basis of many of our attacks and defences against enemies.”_

“Such as?”

_“Aura Sphere, though I’m still too young to properly learn that move yet. Aura Shield is another, as is Aura Storm, and special type of Focus Blast.”_

“Do you think I’ll be able to perform those moves too?”

_“You can, eventually. These moves require a lot of physical strength to even get the baseline down. If you attempted such moves now, you could break every single bone in your body.”_

Ash nodded understandingly, “How can I build up my strength? Pallet Town doesn’t have a gym.”

Luka crossed his paws, _“We’ll think of something. For now let us focus on Professor Oak’s assignment.”_

* * *

_“Harder.”_

_THWACK_

_“Even harder.”_

_THWACK_

_“Good rhythm. Keep at it.”_

_THWACK THWACK **THWACK!**_

Followed by the sound of bark splitting, and a _CRASH_ as the young tree came toppling down to the ground.

Ash and Luka were in the woods surrounding Pallet Town, where the former was training under the guidance of the latter in building up his physical strength by attacking a young tree with his fists and legs. It had been slow-going, but Ash was eventually able to knock down the tree with a lot of effort and grit.

The preteen sank down to his knees, muscles burning and short of breath. Luka approached with a large water bottle filled to the brim.

_“Here.”_

Without a further word, Ash took it, opened the cap and began chugging down the water like a drunkard on wine. With a loud splutter, Ash put the bottle down and hung his head, still a bit out of it from exerting himself.

_“You did great, Ash.”_

“I’m so sore…”

_“Naturally. You have never seriously exercised or worked out before. You are not used to it.”_

Ash regarded his bonded somewhat tiredly, “How far off do I have before I can utilise Aura in physical moves?”

_“Realistically, years off,”_ Luka replied bluntly, _“The human body isn’t typically suited to handle Aura moves unlike Riolus and Lucarios. You will need to train much more before you can even contain such power without it destroying your body.”_

Ash sighed, but nodded nonetheless, “I understand. So what’s next?”

Luka pointed a paw towards a sizeable rock, _“Use that rock to build up your muscle groups. Remember what we discussed back home.”_

The night before, Ash and Luka went through a couple of beginner workout articles online to plan an exercise regime for the former to begin. Everything down to form and position was carefully analysed and memorised. Since they couldn’t go to an actual gym and be properly guided, they needed to be careful.

Ash went over to the rock, and lifted it off the ground. It was moderately heavy, nothing he couldn’t lift up, but holding it for too long could quickly become a problem if he didn’t start moving.

Keeping both hands on the rock, Ash lifted the load up and down in a bicep curl for two sets of ten reps. Lifting it over his head and holding it behind, Ash did another two sets of twenty reps of tricep curls. From there, he worked out his leg muscles in a series of squats and extensions.

After each workout, Ash and Luka would jog back to the Ketchum residence as a cooldown. It was not uncommon for the young preteen to be completely knackered by the time they reached the front door. A hot bath would bring some life back into his tired body, but only just enough to last him through dinner and his night-time routine before he finally crashed out on his bed.

Once the sun rose the next day, the routine would repeat itself, over and over for the next two years, until the fateful day came upon Pallet Town.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back with a sorta filler chapter. I promise that the action will truly begin starting from the next chapter onwards. In the meantime, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming will not be tolerated whatsoever.
> 
> Take care, and stay healthy.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	4. Kanto 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash begins his journey to greatness, and already it is tumultuous.

The 22nd of May dawned bright across Pallet Town, just like any other day before or since. It had rained the night before, thus the grass and dirt paths were still moist from the leftover deluge.

Over at the Ketchum residence, Delia prepared a hearty breakfast for her son and Luka, finished with a small birthday cake to mark the occasion of the special day. Birthdays have usually been a low-key affair for the Ketchums. While Ash had big parties with the other kids and Gary in town when he was younger, as he grew older and relationships changed, Ash saw no need to go big with his birthdays anymore.

Ash was just finishing up when the telephone rang. Delia went to pick it up.

“Hello, Ketchum residence.”

…

“Samuel? How may I help you?”

…

…

“You want us at the lab?”

…

“I see. Alright, we’ll be there.”

Delia hung up, and returned to the kitchen, “Ash?”

“Yes, mum?”

“Professor Oak wants to meet us at his laboratory. He wants to give something to you before you set off.”

“Oh! Okay, let me just clean up first,” Ash got up from the table, “C’mon Luka, let’s get ready.”

* * *

“Ah! Delia, Ash, and little Luka too! Welcome!”

“Hi, Professor,” the teen nodded, “You said that you wanted to give me something?”

“That’s right, my boy. If you could wait just a moment, I’ll be right back.”

Oak left the room, and returned a few moments later, holding a package.

“This is for you, Ash. Open it.”

Ash took the package, and tore off the wrapping. He bit back a gasp.

“This is…!”

“A PokéNav Plus!” Oak beamed, “Latest model with inbuilt GPS, radio, trade function, satellite TV and Pokédex all in one convenient, portable device. I had it directly imported from Hoenn for this special day.”

Ash’s lip trembled, “P-Professor, I can’t thank you enough for giving me this.”

“I do expect you to make full use of it during your travels, Ash,” Oak added on a serious note, “Even if you decide to take on the Indigo League, you are still a research assistant. As much as possible, I would like to receive weekly reports on any findings that you are able to document throughout your journey.”

The teen nodded resolutely, “I promise to do my best, Professor!”

Oak chuckled heartily, “Well said, my boy! Now, I have to see to the distribution of the starters shortly. I wish you all the best, Ash, and may you have an enlightening, fruitful travel ahead.”

Ash bowed, “Thanks once again, Professor! You can count on me!”

“It’s my pleasure, Ash.”

Delia got up from her seat, “Ash dear, I too have something to give to you as well.”

“Oh? What is it, Mum?”

“Let’s head home first.”

* * *

“What’s this?” asked Ash.

In his mother’s hands, looked like a bundle of fabric that was neatly folded.

“It’s a gift from your uncle. He thought that you’d look good in it.”

Ash took the bundle from his mother, and unfolded it.

“It’s…a hooded cape,” Ash remarked, quite unsure of what to say beyond that.

“Well, you know how Uncle Lance is crazy over capes,” Delia sighed fondly, “He insisted that you have one yourself.”

The cape was made of white fabric, which transitioned into a gradient blue about a third of the length from the hem. The blue was decorated with tiny crystals that made up an intricate pattern across the cape. If Ash had to estimate, it probably went as far down as his ankles were when worn.

“Here, let me put in on you.”

Delia took the cape back, and threw it over her son’s body. Luka watched curiously as she did the clasp over Ash’s upper chest, and pulled the hood over his head.

_“You look very mysterious,”_ the Riolu remarked.

“You think so?”

Delia then produced a case, “These are from your uncle too. Make plenty of friends with them, Ash.”

The teen opened the case, and inside were six Pokéballs, “Thanks Mum.”

Delia couldn’t resist hugging her son, “My baby boy, all grown up and ready to enter the world…”

Ash hugged back, “Please don’t cry Mum, I’ll call you every day.”

The older woman wiped away her tears, “I know Ash, it’s just that it will take some getting used to without seeing you around the house…”

“You have Mimey,” Ash replied, “And I’ll send my Pokémon to Professor Oak’s ranch. That way you won’t be lonely.”

Delia sniffled, “You’re so thoughtful, Ash. But I promise you that I’ll be fine. Just make sure to take care of yourself and Luka, okay?”

“I promise, Mum.”

Ash pulled away, reaching down to grab his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Well, we’re off.”

“Take care, Ash. Same to you, Luka.”

The Riolu nodded, and tucked himself under Ash’s cape out of curiosity. With a final smile, Ash bade his mother farewell, and stepped out into the open world, taking his first steps into his journey.

A few people were going about their business as Ash walked out onto the main path. They all turned to stare at Ash, whispering to one another as he went by. The teen ignored them, and made it to the boundaries of Pallet Town undisturbed.

Unfortunately, that would not last.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Ashy-boy.”

Ash sighed, pulling down his hood, “What do you want, Gary?”

The brunette teen smirked, “Where’s your Pokémon, Ashy-boy? I didn’t see you at Grandpa’s lab earlier. Did you oversleep? Really pitiful that you can’t even set an alarm clock for such an important day. Unlike me. I woke up bright and early to get my desired starter.”

Behind his neutral mask, Ash’s temper started to bubble, “Luka, show yourself.”

The Riolu stepped out from Ash’s cape, glaring at Gary with contempt.

“What is that?”

“A Riolu, and his name is Luka,” Ash replied, “Can you please don’t block the way? I need to get to Viridian City to sign up for the Indigo League.”

Whatever confusion Gary had was quickly replaced by another smug smirk, “Signing up for the Indigo League? Ha! Please, don’t kid yourself Ashy-boy. If anything, _I’m_ gonna win the Indigo League and put Pallet Town on the map!”

Ash was about to respond when out of nowhere, a large group of people suddenly showed up and began cheering for Gary, led by a team of cheerleaders waving pompoms and jumping up and down in perfect synchronicity.

Simply put, Ash was not impressed.

“You’re really cocky, aren’t you Gary? It really speaks wonders about your low self-esteem that you actually require an ego boost from cheerleaders.”

The brunette flinched. The crowd and cheerleaders went completely silent. Ash pulled the hood over his head, and brushed past his former childhood friend as he and Luka headed for Route 1.

Gary spun on Ash, “You think you’re so great, just because you have some fancy, unknown Pokémon and a cape! I challenge you to a battle, right here and now!”

Ash stopped, slowly turning around to face the brunette, “Really? Is that what you want?”

“You heard me, Ashy-boy! I’ll show you who is the superior trainer!”

Ash sighed, “Very well, since you so politely asked. Luka, get ready.”

_“Right.”_

The crowds and cheerleaders took a few steps back. Gary growled, “Squirtle! I choose you!”

He threw a Pokéball, and out popped a bipedal blue turtle-like Pokémon. Ash took out his PokéNav Plus, and opened the Pokédex function.

**_“Data collected. Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. It’s_ ** **_shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds.”_ **

“Squirtle, use Water Gun!” Gary ordered.

Ash closed his PokéNav Plus, “Luka, dodge and use Force Palm.”

The Riolu swerved out of the way of the incoming water, rushing forward and slamming his paw into Squirtle’s chest. The resulting shockwave pushed the turtle Pokémon back and made it flinch.

“Great job Luka! Use Quick Attack, followed by a Metal Claw.”

Gary quickly retaliated, “Squirtle! Dodge followed by another Water Gun!”

“Squir!” the turtle Pokémon barely got out of the way of Luka’s attack, and tried to fire more water at the small canine. Luka jumped over the water geyser and swung down a sharpened bump on the back of his paw on Squirtle, dealing significant damage.

“Squirtle! Withdraw now!”

It quickly retracted into its shell. Ash, however, was unfazed, “Luka, finish this with an overpowered Rock Smash.”

Luka cried loud and long, rushing forward with a glowing paw. He slammed it into Squirtle’s shell, sending it flying several metres away, where it hit a tree with a loud thud and fell to the ground. Squirtle popped out, spinning on its feet for several seconds before collapsing to the grass, knocked out.

“Squirtle!” Gary cried out, rushing to his downed starter.

Ash grinned, “Nice work, partner,” fist-bumping with Luka, who then climbed up to stand on the teen’s shoulder. Pulling his hood up again, Ash walked over to his former friend, who was crouched down, cradling his unconscious Squirtle.

“Next time,” Ash spoke in a no-nonsense tone, “think carefully before you recklessly challenge someone to a battle. Someone can easily take offence to your cocky attitude and cause even more damage to your Pokémon beyond a simple knock-out. I don’t doubt your potential as a great trainer, Garrison Oak, but keep up that cockiness and you will _never_ make it to the League. It will do you good to remember that.”

Gary spun on Ash, growling dangerously. Ash didn’t even deign to respond further, turning on his heel and walking away. The stunned crowd and cheerleaders quickly parted ways for him, letting Ash get out of town undisturbed.

* * *

The weather was clear over Route 1. Despite it being almost summer, the wind blowing past cast a cool chill over the landscape. The moving air whipped through Ash’s long hair, forcing the teen to tie it up into a ponytail to not let it get messed up.

So far, the walk had been uneventful. Ash had recorded a short video of a flock of Pidgeys migrating across the sky using his PokéNav Plus and sent it to Oak. He also managed to film a wild Spearow grabbing a Weedle off the ground. What made the second observation interesting was that the Spearow was bigger than average, the species were not known to live anywhere in Route 1, and bird Pokémon were known to never eat Weedles because of the poisonous stinger on their heads. Though, as Ash caught on video soon after, the Spearow ate most of the Weedle, save for its head, which the bird just dropped onto the ground before flying off.

“Interesting, this particular specimen could be an anomaly, or a wider indication of a shift in dietary choices. But what was it doing in Route 1? Maybe it was looking for food…or did it get separated from its flock? No, this Spearow appeared to be independent, so maybe not…”

Ash took a few more notes, before closing his PokéNav Plus.

“Well, let’s get going Luka.”

The Riolu nodded, but then picked up on something.

_“Ash, wait. I sense a Pokémon nearby.”_

“You do? Where is it?”

Luka hopped off of Ash’s shoulder, and hurried towards a patch of trees off the dirt road. Ash quickly followed his partner, picking his way through the thicket. That was when he heard the whines and cries of a Pokémon. A bit further in, Ash’s eyes widened at the sight before him and Luka.

On the ground about three feet away, was a small, brown, quadruped mammalian Pokémon being attacked by a Raticate. Ash immediately recognised it as an Eevee. It had multiple cuts and scrapes dotting its body, and there was a purple haze enveloping its head, signifying that it was poisoned.

“Oi! Get away from it!”

Ash picked up a nearby rock and flung it at the Raticate. It hit the rodent, turning its attention towards the teen and Luka.

“Luka, use Force Palm against it!”

The Riolu darted forward and slammed his paw into the Raticate’s body. Since Raticates were Normal-typed, the attack broke several of its bones and sent it flying into a tree. It fell to the ground and didn’t move again.

The injured Eevee slowly looked up, “E…Eev…?”

Luka knelt down beside it, _“It’s okay. You’re safe now.”_

Ash immediately rushed over, causing the Eevee to flinch away. Luka immediately tried to reassure it, _“Hey, don’t be scared. This boy is my friend. He will help you.”_ The Riolu gently pressed his paw against the Eevee’s fur, releasing some of his Aura to soothe it.

Ash rummaged through his bag, finding his first-aid pouch after a few moments of searching.

“Luka, I need you to hold the Eevee still while I apply the disinfectant.”

The Riolu nodded. Ash then turned to the Eevee, “This will hurt a bit, but I promise that it will help speed up the healing. Can you trust me?”

After a moment, the evolution Pokémon seemed to nod. Ash produced a spray-bottle of disinfectant and applied it to the cuts and scrapes. The Eevee winced and whined piteously, but it endured the stinging like a trooper. Ash wrapped the gauze over the wounds, securing them, before pulling out another bottle.

“Eevee, can you open your mouth? This is an antidote, it will help with the poison.”

Eevee immediately did as it was told. Ash dripped a few droplets of the antidote onto its tongue, and got it to swallow. It took a few moments, but the purple haze over Eevee’s head dissipated as the medicine got to work neutralising the poison.

Even then, the small brown Pokémon still appear weak.

“Luka, let’s head to Viridian City immediately. I can only do so much for Eevee without the help of Nurse Joy.”

_“Right, let’s go.”_

Ash turned to the Eevee, “Will you let me carry you? We’re going to get you help, I promise.”

Eevee was silent for a moment, before seeming to nod. Ash carefully picked up the delicate Pokémon and cradled it to his chest to keep it warm. Slinging his bag over his shoulders, Ash and Luka hurried back to the dirt path heading towards Viridian.

* * *

It took about four hours or so for Ash and Luka to reach the boundaries of Viridian City, and another half an hour finding the Pokémon Centre. By then, it was already nightfall. Ash ignored all the looks he was getting as he hurried through the streets and up the steps towards the Pokémon Centre. Going inside, he saw Nurse Joy seeing off a man with three Pokéballs strapped to his belt. He made a beeline for the counter.

“Nurse Joy, I need your help.”

The pink-haired nurse blinked at the caped teen, before returning to professionalism, “How may I help you this afternoon?”

“I found this Eevee along Route 1 earlier. It had been attacked really badly and poisoned.”

Ash produced the brown mammalian Pokémon, which upon opening its eyes, wearily looked around its new surroundings.

“Oh dear! Let me have a look.”

Nurse Joy took Eevee from Ash’s hands. She spent a moment inspecting the gauze.

“Did you patch it up?”

“I have some training in first-aid,” Ash replied, “My name is Ash Ketchum, and I am a research assistant to Professor Samuel Oak.”

“Identification, please?”

Ash took out his PokéNav Plus and opened the ID page. Nurse Joy inspected it and nodded.

“Thank you, Ash. I have to say that you did an excellent job patching up the poor dear.”

“Yeah, but it was still weak even after all that. I didn’t know what to do so I came directly here.”

“A sensible idea. But don’t you worry, Ash, all Eevee needs right now is a good night’s rest. Would you like to book a room to stay the night? I’m sure it must have been exhausting being on your feet the entire day.”

“That would be great, Nurse Joy. How do I book?”

“You can use the e-kiosk over there,” the nurse pointed.

“Thanks.”

Nurse Joy immediately busied herself with her Chansey to have Eevee healed. Ash went over to the booth and set to work booking himself and Luka a room for the night. Just as his booking was processed and approved, Ash noticed an option to register for the Indigo League. Registration had opened the week before, and there were only a couple of days left before the window was closed.

“Oh good, I thought the registration process was going to be tougher.”

Ash took about five minutes to complete the registration form, before sending it to the League for processing.

_“Ash, you should call Mum to let her know that you’re safe,”_ Luka reminded.

“Ah, right.”

Ash opened the call function, and dialled in his house phone number. Picking up the receiver, he waited for the call to connect.

_ “Hello? Ketchum Residence.” _

__

“Hey Mum, it’s me, Ash.”

The screen opened into a webcam, revealing Delia dressed in a dressing-gown.

_ “Ash! Oh it’s good to hear from you! Where are you now?” _

__

“Viridian City’s Pokémon Centre.”

_ “You sure are fast! I thought that it would take you a couple of days to get there! How’s Luka?” _

__

The Riolu popped up onto Ash’s shoulder, waving to the screen.

“He’s doing fine, Mum. You wouldn’t believe what we went through in getting here.”

Ash gave Delia a run-down of the day’s events, from his research observations to encountering the wild Eevee that was currently being tended to by Nurse Joy.

_ “It seems that you’ve had quite the day! Are you planning to stay the night at the Pokémon Centre?” _

__

“Yes, I am. I also signed up for the Indigo League, so I’ll be heading out early tomorrow to start collecting the Gym Badges.”

_ “Mm! Make sure to do your best! I will be cheering for you from home!” _

__

“Thanks Mum, I will.”

_ “Alrighty. I’m off to bed now! You take care, Ash. Don’t forget to brush your teeth and change your underwear daily!” _

__

Ash sweatdropped, “I will, Mum. Goodnight.”

_ “Goodnight!” _

__

The call ended, and the screen returned to the ‘Home’ page.

_“Ever the mother hen, is she?”_ Luka snickered.

“You can say that again,” Ash replied as he got up from the kiosk, “There’s a cafeteria here, wanna grab some dinner?”

_“Sure, I’m starting to get hungry myself.”_

* * *

After a good dinner, Ash returned to the main atrium to collect the card-key for his room at the front desk. Settling into the basic, but modern hotel-like room, Ash pulled out a fresh pair of pyjamas and a pouch of toiletries for the night. However, before he could turn in, he wanted to swing by the nearby PokéMart to purchase supplies for the journey to Pewter City the next day.

“We’re definitely going to need more potions and antidotes, paralyze heals and other medications. Luka, do you think we should get more Pokéballs too?”

_“Are you planning on catching more Pokémon along the way?”_

Ash fastened the clasp of his cape, “I’m not sure. Pewter City’s Gym is a rock-type, and your fighting-type moves are super-effective against rock-type Pokémon. But I can’t keep relying on you, especially when we progress through the Gym Challenge.”

_“The last I checked, we have six Pokéballs,”_ Luka recalled, **_“_** _Maybe we can get ten?”_

“Sounds like a plan,” Ash nodded, grabbing his bag, “Alright, let’s go.”

He just reached for the doorknob when all of a sudden, the entire building shook. There was a loud explosion, and all power was immediately shut off.

_“Ash! What’s going on?!”_

“I don’t know! Is this some sort of attack?”

Ash hurried to the window, and opened it to see what was going on. That was when he heard the announcement being broadcasted across the city.

**_“Citizens of Viridian City, there have been reports of suspicious individuals in a hot-air balloon spotted in the area. In the wake of recent Pokémon abductions, please remain indoors, lock all windows and doors, and keep your Pokémon inside until the all-clear is given!”_ **

****

“Suspicious individuals…abductions…Shit! The Pokémon Centre has all kinds of Pokémon housed here! Whoever they are, they could be after the Pokémon! C’mon Luka, we need to help!”

_“Got it!”_

Both Ash and Luka went for the door, only to be met with a cloud of noxious gas billowing in.

_“Gross! What is this?!”_

“It’s some kind of gas, probably from a Pokémon. Luka, stay under my cape. I’ll get us through this!”

Covering his nose and mouth, Ash picked up his partner, hid him under the cape, and dashed out into the gas-filled corridor. Visibility was low, and the smell was horrendous. Ash felt his eyes water from the gas, and picked up the pace. After a few minutes of running, he reached the main atrium, where thankfully, the gas was thinner from ventilation provided by a hole in the glass roof.

“Give it up! There’s no chance you can transfer all the Pokéballs away in time. Just hand them over and no one will be hurt!”

Ash started at the unfamiliar, feminine voice. It seemed to be coming from a corridor leading away from the atrium. The teen quickly followed the voice, coming to a back-room which was open. Standing in the doorway were two individuals and what Ash recognised as a Meowth. One was an adult male with short blueish hair, and the other a female about the same age with long magenta hair styled in such an exaggerated swooping curve the only possibility for its existence was with copious amounts of hair gel. The pair were dressed in some kind of uniform that Ash didn’t recognise. Inside the room, Nurse Joy was cornered.

“Who are you?”

The two adults and Meowth spun around.

The man raised an eyebrow, “My, my, what do we have here?”

“Who is this little boy?” the woman mocked, “Coming to play the hero and stop us bad guys?”

“The twerp even has a cape!” the Meowth exclaimed, “He’s really takin’ it seriously!”

Pushing aside the surprise at a physical talking Pokémon, Ash growled, “I asked you lot a question! Who on earth are you?!”

“Tch!” the woman clicked her tongue, “Such rude behaviour! Kids nowadays have no manners!”

“I agree,” the man replied in an attempt at being suave, having pulled a rose from somewhere, “how about we teach him a lesson? Perhaps he’ll learn not to stick his nose into other people’s business! Go Koffing!”

“Do us good, Ekans!” the woman threw out a Pokéball.

Ash cursed, ‘Shit, both are poison-types. Their resistant to Luka’s fighting-type moves.’

However, it seemed that the young Riolu had other ideas.

Leaping out from behind Ash’s cape, Luka stared down the two poison-types, _“You’re not going to cause any more trouble!”_

The opposing man did a double-take, “What is that?”

His female companion was in a similar confused state, “I don’t know, I’ve never seen such a Pokémon before!”

“Hey!” the Meowth piped up, “We’re here for rare Pokémon, aren’t we? Whatever this is, it will be a great gift for the Boss!”

“That’s a great idea!” the woman snapped her fingers, before producing a Pokéball, “Now stand still you little dog.”

She threw the ball at Luka, who immediately kicked it away, sending it flying back and hitting the woman right in the face. It remained stuck for a moment, before peeling off and falling to the floor where it rolled away.

The woman snapped, “Why you cheeky little fucker! Ekans, use-”

Whatever command she wanted to say was cut off when Ash surged forward and punched her right in the jaw. A tooth went flying out, and she crashed to the floor, her mouth bleeding.

“You dare try to capture my partner?” Ash growled lowly.

“Y-You monster!” the man screeched, “You assaulted a lady!”

Ash immediately rounded on him, “You lot are stealing Pokémon, and you threatened my partner. It doesn’t matter if you are female or not. You will pay!” Surging forward, he slammed his foot right into the man’s crotch. The man made a quiet, high-pitch noise, before crumpling to the floor in agony.

Despite her bleeding mouth, the woman was not going to take the punch lying down, “Ekans, use Poison Sting!”

“Luka! Watch out!”

The young Riolu dodged the barrage of poisoned spikes headed straight for him. The Ekans was about to fire a second round when Ash loomed before it.

“Eat shit, you motherfucker.”

Before the snake Pokémon could react, Ash brought his foot down hard on its head. Then came the unmistakable sound of bones splintering, and blood splattering.

“No! Ekans!”

Ekans was no more.

Ash dragged the bloody sole of his shoe against the floor, “Talk shit, get hit.”

Not even waiting for a response, the teen surged towards the woman and kicked her head so hard she was flung across the corridor, whereupon she lost consciousness when she hit the wall and crumpled to the floor in a heap. With one down, Ash turned his ire on the remaining would-be criminal.

“K-Koffing!. U-Use…Smog…”

However, Ash was faster.

Grabbing the spherical Pokémon with his bare hands, he tore it apart like a paper bag. A cloud of poisonous gas spilled out into the corridor.

“Luka, get down!”

The Riolu immediately dived to the floor, covering his snout with his paws. Ash followed suit, crawling forward and grabbing the man by the scruff of his uniform. Keeping his head below the cloud, Ash punched the man once to further daze him, and forced him up until his head was entirely enveloped in the poisonous gas. It didn’t take long for the man’s face to turn purple, before he passed out and went slack in Ash’s grip.

At the same time, came a loud whirring noise. Nurse Joy was wearing a mask of some sort, and holding a hand-held machine that seemed to suck the poisonous gas into it like a vacuum cleaner. With the purple cloud gone, the talking Meowth from before came into view.

“Ah crap…I’m outnumbered. Looks like I should skedaddle-”

The cat Pokémon barely finished it’s sentence when Luka slammed into it with a powered Force Palm. Just like the two criminals before, it hit the floor, unconscious.

All was silent for several moments, no one moving as the adrenaline began to seep away.

Ash turned to the Pokémon nurse, “That’s an interesting gadget you’ve got there, Nurse Joy. Does it work for all types of gases?”

She responded with a deeply incredulous look.

* * *

Officer Jenny was called, and she arrived with a police squadron within ten minutes. The personnel dealt with the two criminals and their Meowth, while Jenny went to question Ash personally.

“Why did you get involved?”

Ash scratched his cheek, “Instinct, I guess? I heard the announcement being made over the city. Abducting Pokémon is such a horrendous crime, and then my thoughts travelled to the Pokémon Centre. What if these criminals broke in and stole all the Pokémon? An Eevee I rescued earlier today is still recuperating. The poor bean would be traumatised if it got stolen by those criminals! I couldn’t sit around and do nothing!”

“While that is very noble of you, Mr. Ketchum,” Jenny replied, “that doesn’t explain why the Team Rocket grunts were beaten within an inch of their lives. I even heard from Nurse Joy that you murdered their Pokémon!”

“In my defence,” Ash stood his ground, “They were after my partner.”

“Your partner?”

Luka popped out from inside Ash’s cape.

Officer Jenny stared at him, “What is that?”

“His name is Luka. And he is a Riolu. He’s not from Kanto, rather he was trafficked out of the Sinnoh region by a poacher. He managed to escape, and made it to my house in Pallet Town where he Aura-bonded with me. We are connected on a level that is beyond the comprehension of the normal human. And if you need further proof, you can ask Professor Samuel Oak. He will be able to validate my account.”

Officer Jenny was silent.

“If it makes things better, I do not go around randomly assaulting women. Only if they pose a threat to me or Luka will I take things into my own hands.”

“Then what about the Pokémon you killed?”

“The same reason as those two grunts,” Ash shrugged, “They threatened Luka’s life, simple enough. I don’t care the Pokémon, if they have the intent to deliberately harm my partner’s wellbeing outside of sanctioned battles, I will get my hands dirty to protect him.”

The silence continued, until Jenny nodded, “I can let this incident slide on the grounds of protecting the Pokémon and your partner. However, assault and murder of Pokémon are still crimes, especially if unprovoked. I believe you know the penalties for such offences in the regional penal code?”

“I do, Officer Jenny. You can count on me to exercise restraint unless warranted.”

Jenny closed her notebook, “On the other hand, I should at least thank you for doing an immense service for Viridian City. Those Team Rocket grunts have been on our wanted list for some time already.”

Ash nodded, “And I suppose there’s the added bonus of not blowing up the Pokémon Centre thanks to some hair-brained scheme my teenage mind might be able to conjure up.”

“There’s that,” Jenny conceded.

“So are we done?” Ash asked, “I need to check on Nurse Joy and the Eevee I rescued.”

“Yes, we’re done, Mr. Ketchum. Just remember to stay on the right side of the law, okay?”

“You have my word.”

With that, Officer Jenny went off to speak to one of her deputies. Ash watched as the two grunts and their talking Meowth were restrained and taken into a waiting police van. Whether or not they were headed for a hospital or not was something Ash didn’t know and frankly, didn’t care. He immediately turned away from the scene and went to look for Nurse Joy.

He found her speaking to another one of Officer Jenny’s deputies. He came up just as the deputy finished and went off towards the others.

“Nurse Joy, are you okay? Are the Pokémon safe?”

“Oh, Ash!” the nurse turned around, “Yes, I am okay, and the Pokémon are all safe and sound. Some didn’t even know the attack was happening!”

Ash chuckled, “That’s good to hear. That includes the Eevee I rescued, right?”

“Yep!” Nurse Joy grinned, “While it was awakened by the noise earlier, it’s coming along just fine, just like the others.”

“I’m relieved,” Ash replied, “But what’s going to happen to it?”

“Well, since it is a wild Pokémon, it will be released back into the wilderness upon full recovery.”

Ash considered this, as did Luka. After a few moments, the Riolu pawed at his partner’s pants leg.

“You think so too, huh?”

Luka nodded.

“Nurse Joy, may I see Eevee?”

* * *

Inside the Pokémon ward, Nurse Joy led Ash and Luka to a cot where Eevee sat, watching the other Pokémon with curiosity.

“Eevee?”

The quadruped mammalian Pokémon jumped, but calmed down when it realised it was Ash and Luka.

The teen sat down next to the cot, “How are you feeling, Eevee?”

“Eev…eleve…eve…”

_“He says that he’s doing okay,”_ Luka translated.

“That’s great to hear, Eevee,” Ash smiled, slowly reaching over to pet his brown fur. Eevee seemed a bit confused, but slowly relaxed from the gentle ministrations, “Eevee, I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you want to join me and Luka on my journey? I’m training to become an Aura Guardian, and I am planning on participating in the Indigo League. I think that you’d make a great part of my team. What do you say?”

Eevee was momentarily surprised at the offer. But after a second of consideration, “Eevui! Eev ee!”

Luka perked up, _“He agrees.”_

Ash’s smile brightened, “Great! Welcome aboard, buddy! Now, how about a name? As a sign of our friendship?”

Eevee made a happy noise, and nodded.

Ash spent a moment thinking, “What about Cleon?”

Eevee considered the name, but shook his head.

“I see, hmm…maybe Zephyr?”

Another shake.

“Alright…what about Arion?”

Eevee made a loud noise of approval, “Eev! Ee eevui!”

“That does it, Arion it will be!”

Newly-named Arion squealed and tried to leap into Ash’s chest, only for his still-healing aches to act up again.

“Whoa there, buddy, you’re still recovering. Take it easy, yeah?”

Arion made a soft noise of assent, “Eeve, eev e.”

“Heh, yeah, I’m excited too. But we gotta make sure we get plenty of rest first before we head tomorrow, okay?”

“Eevui ee!”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a few things before we wrap up.
> 
> As stated in the chapter, Ash is not the kind of person who will assault women for the fun of it. I too believe that innocent women should never be assaulted or hurt in any shape or manner, but in this story, attempt to hurt Luka or any of his Pokémon in anyway outside of sanctioned battles, and one's gender will not matter. Ash's berserk button will be pushed, and he will come after you with his fists. As that one quote from Batman: The Brave and The Bold says, "The hammer of justice is unisex."
> 
> Also, I never anticipated that this chapter would get as violent as I initially thought it would be. But somehow, my creative juices went back to the days when I read the Pokémon Adventures manga series, known for its darker tone where Pokémon and trainers are grievously injured or killed, made a connection, and created an Ash that wasn't afraid of resorting to physical violence to protect his loved ones. Let me say this up front, this will not be the only time Ash will get violent if it means protecting others.
> 
> On that note, I would like to ask for your opinion. Do you guys want Jessie and James to make future appearances at least in the Kanto arc? Or can they disappear from the story and never be heard from again. Let me know in the comments.
> 
> Also, I chose the name Arion for Eevee for a couple of reasons. Hinting towards his evolutionary form, and because it shares the same meaning as 'Melody', one of the many choices of names for said evolutionary form I could find on the Internet.
> 
> With that, the usual protocol, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Stay safe, and take care.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	5. Kanto 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash leaves for Pewter City, and makes a new friend along the way.

While Ash was legally required to have Arion captured into a Pokéball, the teen realised very quickly that the Eevee refused to be confined within the ball. Arion, just like Luka, wanted to travel with Ash in-person (Pokémon?), perching himself on Ash’s head as he checked out of the Pokémon Centre.

“Thank you for everything, Nurse Joy.”

“You’re most welcome, Ash,” the pink-haired nurse smiled, “Take care on your travels!”

“I will! Thanks once again!”

With that, Ash and his two friends took their leave, continuing on the road towards Pewter City.

Before they left Viridian City behind, Ash stopped by the local PokéMart to grab the supplies that he had intended to buy the evening before. Once that was done, he headed out to Route 2 which stood in between the two cities. Along the way, Viridian Forest, known for its population of wild bug-type Pokémon, loomed large.

By the time Ash and his Pokémon arrived at the edge of the forest, the sun was just disappearing below the horizon.

“Luka, Arion, let’s camp out here. It’s not safe to enter the forest at night.”

_“I agree, Ash.”_

“Ee eevui!”

Diverging off the path a few feet, Ash, Luka and Arion set up a small tent. Ash and Luka then went to gather branches and dried weeds to start a campfire. Using a lighter given by his mother, the fire was going almost immediately. Sifting through his bag, Ash pulled out a bag of Pokémon treats for Luka and Arion, and a pouch of MRE for himself that he bought from the PokéMart earlier.

It was a simple dinner, warmed up by the campfire. Once everything was eaten and cleared away for disposal later, the trio retreated into the tent.

“We have a big day tomorrow, so let’s get some sleep, yeah?”

_“Mm, goodnight Ash.”_

“Ee eev vui!”

“Goodnight, you two.”

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast and keeping away the tent, Ash and his partners continued on their way through Viridian Forest. It spanned many kilometres, which according to Ash’s PokéNav Plus, would take at least three days to cover by foot, provided one did not get lost. So, during their many breaks, Ash, Luka and Arion would undergo strenuous training to not only prepare for the imminent gym battle in Pewter City, but to also level up their fitness and stamina.

As Pewter City Gym was Rock-typed, Ash was in the midst of teaching Arion how to use Iron Tail, a Steel-type move that would be super-effective against Rock-types.

“You gotta stiffen up your tail more, Arion,” the teen instructed, “Yes, that’s it. Keep it like that. Now aim for that tree again.”

Arion did as instructed, and charged at the tree. He leapt into the air, and swung his tail at the trunk. The tree shook, but didn’t appear to take any damage.

“Keep at it, Arion. You can do this.”

“Eev!”

The Eevee tried again, putting more strength into his tail. He charged at the tree again, and swung his hardened tail at the trunk. This time, a chunk of bark and wood was knocked clean out of the trunk.

“Eev vui!”

“That’s it, Arion!” Ash praised, “You got it covered! Now, again!”

Arion charged at the tree for the third time, and swung his hardened tail at the tree. This time, the trunk was completed bashed through, and the tree toppled down with a loud crash, startling several bird Pokémon and sending them flying for their lives.

“You did it, Arion! I’m so proud of you!”

“Vui!”

Arion jumped into Ash’s waiting arms, squealing happily as his trainer hugged him joyously. Luka came over where he had been practicing Aura Sphere and patted the Eevee in congratulations.

“You both did well today. Why don’t we stop for lunch?”

_“Sounds good.”_

“Vee!”

Sitting down upon the fallen tree that Arion had knocked over, Ash dug into his bag to get lunch ready for both himself and his Pokémon, when all of a sudden, they heard rustling coming from some nearby bushes.

“Eev?”

_“Ash, I sense a Pokémon nearby.”_

The teen was immediately on high-alert. Whatever it was, it sounded big. If the attack on the Viridian City Pokémon Centre was any indication, enemies could spring up at a moment’s notice. Humans and small-ish Pokémon were one thing, but if it was a big Pokémon, Ash knew he needed to give his all and more if he wanted to get himself and his partners to safety.

Arion had hardened his tail in anticipation, and Luka had produced a small ball of Aura in his paws. Ash readied himself for whatever was coming his way.

None of them expected the Pokémon that would literally stumble into their camp.

Ash’s eyes widened, “It’s…a Scyther.”

It was one thing to see such a rare specimen appear before them. While Scyther were Kanto natives, they tended to be found mainly in the Safari Zone, and even then they were relatively rare. To see one in the Viridian Forest was unusual. But all that meant nothing for Ash. He quickly realised that Scyther was in bad shape. It looked like it had been beaten up horribly, then attacked by wild Pokémon, almost like how Luka had been when he first appeared to Ash.

Furthermore, it seemed that Scyther’s physical state was deteriorating rapidly. It could barely stand on its feet, and it was leaning on its blades, looking ready to keel over from exhaustion.

Ash and Luka immediately rushed to the injured mantis Pokémon, “Easy there. You’re hurt really badly.”

“Scy…ther….”

Even in its weakened state, Scyther attempted to protect itself.

_“Don’t worry. We’re not going to hurt you further. We can help.”_

“Scy…ther?”

Luka pressed his paw against Scyther’s leg, letting some of his Aura soothe the wild Pokémon. With a hint of trepidation, Ash slowly guided Scyther back towards the campsite. He laid it down onto the ground, and turned to Luka, “Get me my first-aid pouch.”

The Riolu nodded, and disappeared into the tent. Arion approached the prone Scyther slowly. The mantis Pokémon turned an eye towards him. Arion made a distressed noise, and began licking Scyther’s wounds in an attempt to heal them.

“Scy…”

Luka came back with the pouch.

“Thanks Luka.”

Ash pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, and turned to the Scyther, “This is going to sting a little, but it will help with the healing, okay?”

The mantis Pokémon nodded after a moment.

Ash applied the disinfectant, and Scyther flinched. Luka immediately calmed it with more of his Aura, providing a supportive paw throughout the entire process. Once all its wounds were cleaned, Ash spread a salve that was to having a soothing effect, which was supposed to speed up the healing. Then, came the bandages and gauze.

“There, all done.”

Ash helped Scyther up to its feet.

“Hey, do you want to join us for lunch? You need energy to recuperate faster.”

Scyther was silent for a moment, before turning to Luka and Arion. Both Pokémon readily nodded.

“Scythe.”

_“She’s willing to join us.”_

Ash grinned, “Great, let’s chow down, everyone.”

Food was distributed, and everyone tucked in, Scyther included after a moment of hesitation. As they ate, Ash turned to the mantis Pokémon, “Hey Scyther? If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get so beaten up?”

Scyther looked down at the food pellet she was holding, “Scythe….scy…ther…scythe…”

_“She was usurped as the leader of her horde by a younger male. She was then cast out after a vicious fight. That was two days ago, and she was attacked multiple times by other wild Pokémon during that time,”_ Luka translated.

The mantis Pokémon looked downwards in shame.

“Scyther, look at me.”

Ash guided her to meet his honey-whiskey eyes, “I can understand the pain and humiliation you must have gone through to get to this point. But I can help you. We can become stronger together. I am training to become an Aura Guardian, and to become the best Pokémon Trainer there is. Together, we can show everyone that we are not one to trifle with. If we ever see your horde again, you’ll be so strong that they will cower in fear and embarrassment for deserting you. How about it?”

The mantis Pokémon took a few moments to consider the offer. It definitely sounded attractive, to see her former horde tremble before her might. She would never forget their betrayal, she will show them that they made a grave mistake going with that usurper. She saw immense power within this boy, and she will be the most foolish Scyther in existence if she did not follow him.

Her mind was made up, and she nodded.

Ash beamed, “Excellent! Now, how would you like a name? I always give my Pokémon names. It shows that we are connected on a personal level.”

This time, Scyther didn’t need to think about it. She nodded right away.

“Great! Now…I’m thinking of a name that means strong and powerful…”

…

…

“How about Adira?”

Scyther made a cry of assent, raising her blade-like appendages and clanging them together.

“Adira it is!”

* * *

Adira proved to be an essential addition to the team once they got on the path again. Parts of the forest had grown over the path and blocked the way. With Adira’s scythes, she was able to cut down the overgrowth to clear the way for them to continue on. As they walked, Ash got to know his newest partner further, especially the moveset she was capable of. Currently, she knew Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, Air Slash and X-Scissor.

The two flying-type moves were a saving grace, especially with what happened mid-way through their second day of trekking.

Ash and his team were walking leisurely, when something rustled the nearby bushes. At first, the teen thought it might be another wild Pokémon, but it turned out to be a young boy with a net.

The boy jumped out of the bushes, and brandished his net right at Ash.

“Our eyes have met! That means it is time for a battle!”

Ash blinked, “Are you a Trainer?”

“That’s right! My name is Brian, and I will not let you pass until I defeat you in battle!”

Slowly, Ash nodded, “Alright, I accept your challenge. What are your terms?”

“One-on-one battle!”

Ash took a moment to think. Brian carried a net, therefore it was a high probability that the boy is a bug-catcher. Given the almost-certainty of a Bug-type opponent, Ash had one option if he wanted a swift battle.

“Adira, are you up for a battle?”

The mantis Pokémon shot out of her Pokéball, “Scythe! Ther!”

Brian, to his credit, hid the flinch at seeing the formidable bipedal mantis. With a slightly-shaking hand, he pulled out a Pokéball, “Go, Weedle!”

At the back of his mind, Ash wondered if another large Spearow was going to appear out of nowhere and carry off the Weedle as its lunch. He quickly pushed the morbid thought out and focused on the battle.

“Weedle, use Poison Sting!”

“Adira, dodge and use Air Slash!”

The Scyther swerved out of the incoming needles’ path, leapt up about a few feet into the air, and made a hard downward slicing motion with one of her scythes. A blade of air rushed towards the Weedle, and sent it flying backwards. It also cut into the worm’s skin, drawing blood.

“Now, finish with Wing Attack!”

Adira spread her wings to full span, and charged. As the Weedle was still reeling from the previous attack, it had no chance of getting out of the way. Adira slammed into the smaller worm Pokémon, and sent it careening back several metres until it hit the dirt path and skidded for a few more feet. It did not get up from there.

“Weedle!”

Brian rushed to his fallen Pokémon.

“Great job, Adira. Get some rest.”

Ash returned his partner to her Pokéball. Just then, he felt his PokéNav Plus vibrate. Opening it, he realised it was a notification of a recent monetary transfer. It was from Brian, and the amount totalled to two-hundred Pokédollars.

“Neat, this should cover about two days’ worth of food,” Ash remarked to himself, closing his PokéNav Plus and putting it away.

Brian the bug-catcher had long gone, leaving Ash and his partners to continue on their trek through the forest.

* * *

Ash and his team would encounter another three more of these young bug-catchers by the time they had stepped out of the forest into the northern section of Route 2. A small part of Ash wondered what kind of parents would let such young children (they couldn’t be more than seven or eight years in age) wander around a dense forest on their own. He acknowledged the idea that these children were good with directions and had ample training from their families, but…no, he wasn’t going to stray into dark territory here.

The battles with these three bug-catchers, just like with Brian, were relatively easy. The last one had a bit of a surprise when the girl’s Caterpie used String Shot without any order from its trainer. While it had caught Adira off-guard momentarily, one slice of her scythe cut the sticky web from her other scythe, and she finished off the battle with a precise Air Slash.

Altogether, Ash netted a hefty sum of six-hundred Pokédollars from those three battles, alongside the two-hundred from his battle against Brian. Ash planned to save half for food, and the other half towards a set-aside amount for TMs and TRs. So far, his Pokémon had a decent moveset, but TMs and TRs were a valuable asset for his team to become stronger. Gym battles after Pewter were going to get harder, so Ash wanted the best advantages for his partners in order to guarantee a relatively smooth journey towards the Indigo League.

Speaking of Pewter City, Ash estimated that he would reach the city boundaries by nightfall. As he cut through the rocky canyon that made up this particular section of Route 2, Ash stopped occasionally to brush up on Luka and Arion’s moveset and get some physical training in with the many boulders that lined the path. As he planned to challenge the gym the next day, he and his Pokémon needed to be ready for their first obstacle towards the League.

When they finally reached the end of Route 2, Ash and his team were knackered. Pewter City as a whole was bigger than Viridian City, and the teen was just too tired to get to the Pokémon Centre by foot. Thankfully, the local buses were still running, and Ash hopped onto the first bus that stopped by the Pokémon Centre. Once again, he got plenty of stares because of his cape, and the fact that Luka was perched on his shoulder, and Arion draped over his hooded head, but Ash was too tired to care.

The bus stopped outside of the Pokémon Centre, and Ash alighted after paying his fare. Trudging up the steps, Ash sauntered into the Centre, barely keeping the yawn from escaping his mouth.

As his luck would have it, Nurse Joy was unoccupied at that precise moment.

“Good evening! How may I help you?”

“My team need healing,” Ash handed over Adira’s Pokéball, Arion and Luka leaping down onto the counter, “Also, can I get a room for tonight? I’m planning to challenge the gym tomorrow.”

“No problem! Chansey, if you please?”

“Chansey!” the egg Pokémon-slash-assistant came up with a trolley where Nurse Joy placed the Pokéball into a tray. Arion and Luka leapt onto the tray, and let themselves be wheeled away to the back of the Centre.

Nurse Joy then checked Ash into the system, and gave him a room key. Thanking her, Ash went to go sit on a nearby sofa to wait for his Pokémon. At the other end, sat a bearded man with a red hat that obscured his eyes. Ash didn’t think anything about it, at first.

“You’re here to challenge Brock, aren’t you?”

Ash raised an eyebrow, “Yes…why are you asking?”

The man nodded minutely, “You look like a trainer that is just starting out.”

“Um, that I am, but that doesn’t answer my question though.”

“Brock is the first Gym leader that trainers hoping to participate in the Indigo League,” the man continued, “Brock may be young, but he is a formidable opponent. He faces off with his Geodude and Onix, but it is the latter that proves the most challenging for trainers.”

“Okay…all that I already know,” Ash pointed out.

“Just wanted to make sure that you weren’t going in with a big head or anything,” the man released a breath, “Many trainers face a brutal loss when they go in unprepared.”

“A big head is the last thing I can have,” Ash replied.

“Good to hear,” the man nodded.

Silence followed for a moment.

“Mister…the way you speak of Brock seems to be from experience. Do you know him personally?”

“You could say that,” the man replied, before getting up from the sofa and stretching, “Well, I best be off. Good luck with your battle, kid.”

He took a few steps forward, but Ash had one more question, “Mister, who are you exactly?”

The man glanced back, “You can call me Flint.”

Without a further word, Flint headed for the doors and disappeared out into the city. Ash stared in confusion for several moments after the man had gone, only snapping out of it when Nurse Joy made an announcement over the PA system.

**“Can Ash Ketchum come to the front counter please? Your Pokémon are all healed.”**

Pushing his odd encounter to the back of his mind, Ash went to collect his team and head for his room for the night.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much to say this time round, except for the usual protocol. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while any flaming will not be tolerated.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy everyone, and I'll see you all next time. Do stay tuned to Jade Lightning, the next chapter is being written and hopefully, will be uploaded soon.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	6. Kanto 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash challenges Gym Leader Brock for the Boulder Badge, and an unknown Pokémon leaves its mark on our protagonist.

The next morning, after waking up early and having a hearty breakfast, Ash and his team took the bus down to the Pewter City gym.

It was a large building akin to a warehouse, with a façade made up of stone slabs supported by metal girders fused into a triangle above the façade.

“Well, this is it, our first gym battle,” Ash remarked, turning to Luka and Arion, “Are you both ready?”

_“As ready as I’ll ever be.”_

“Eev!”

“Then let’s do this.”

Ash pushed the door open and stepped inside.

It was complete darkness inside the gym. Ash could barely see what was ahead of him. And it was really quiet. For a moment, he wondered if the gym was empty and there was no one around.

“Hello? Is anyone here? My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I challenge Brock Harrison to a battle for the Boulder Badge!”

At first, silence.

Then, “Very well, I accept your challenge.”

Ash immediately went into battle-ready mode, as the overhead lights suddenly burst to life. A battlefield filled with boulders came into view, flanked by rows of spectator stands. At the other end of the field, stood a tall, lean man of age eighteen with spiked-up dark hair and golden-brown skin.

A referee stepped into the room and up a dais overlooking the field, “We will commence with a two-versus-two battle between challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gym Leader Brock Harrison of Pewter City. Only the challenger may substitute their Pokémon as they see fit.”

Ash closed his eyes, his hand reaching up to the clasp of his cape. With one strong, fluid motion, Ash undid the clasp and threw his cape to the side, just like how his uncle would do before every major battle. In doing so, he failed to see the blush that spread across Brock’s cheeks.

Let it be known that Ash was incredibly built for his age. Daily workouts with Luka over the past two years have sculpted the teen’s muscles into a sight that made Brock’s heart race. Which was odd, since Brock was almost certain that Ash was a boy (despite the long hair). All his life, Brock had been attracted only to girls, but all of a sudden, here was a boy that made his mouth dry. Just what was going on?

Brock shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to ogle at a muscular trainer (more so, Ash was probably only thirteen, far too young for any ogling to be acceptable or legal). He clapped his cheeks, focusing on the battle at hand.

“Geodude, you’re up!”

The Gym leader tossed out a Pokéball, and a boulder-like Pokémon landed onto the field. It had muscular, human-like arms and hands clenched into fists.

“Arion, go!”

Brock smirked, “An Eevee? This should be easy.”

Ash remained blank-faced, “Arion, Quick Attack but change to Iron Tail at the last moment!”

“Eev!”

Arion charged forward. The Geodude dodged the initial attack, but was unprepared for the Eevee hardening his tail to steel and swinging hard at it. Geodude was sent flying back into a boulder. It fell to the floor, and picked itself up.

“Use Rock Throw!” Brock ordered.

“Dodge, Arion!”

The Eevee dodged the incoming boulders, but couldn’t get away from the last one and got hit on the head. Arion teetered about in a slight daze from the pain.

“Finish it with Rock Blast, Geodude!”

“Arion! You can do it! Snap out of it and retaliate with another Iron Tail!”

The call of his trainer allowed the Eevee to push through the dizziness. As the boulders came flying, Arion hardened his tail again and batted each boulder aside like baseballs, some careening towards the stands or exploding from the hits.

“Now, direct attack with a max Iron Tail!”

Arion surged forward towards Geodude, which was still recovering from the previous attack. With his tail now completely steel and more, the Eevee cried loud and long, and hit the boulder Pokémon point-blank in the face. The impact was so great it sent Geodude flying out of the field, shooting past Brock, and slammed into the wall. It slid down to the floor, and didn’t get up again.

“Geodude is unable to continue battling! Eevee wins!”

“Good job Arion!” Ash beamed, as his partner rushed back to him and jumped into his arms, “You did great out there.”

“Elevui!”

Brock recalled his fainted Geodude, ‘Iron Tail is an advanced move for an Eevee. I best not underestimate him anymore.’

“Challenger and Gym leader shall send out their second Pokémon!”

“Alright, you’re next Onix!”

“Luka, time to go!”

The young Riolu dashed onto the field, earning the curiosity of both the rock-serpent Pokémon and Brock.

“What is that?”

“Luka is a Riolu. He’s not from Kanto,” Ash explained, “Use Force Palm!”

Brock’s intrigue quickly ebbed, “Dodge and use Bind!”

However, as it was much bigger than Luka, the Onix barely had time to move when the Riolu’s glowing paw slammed into its body. Onix was shot backwards, grunting in pain.

“Good job Luka! Now use Low Sweep!”

Luka dashed forward, leapt onto one of the boulders as a springboard, and shot towards his opponent with a powered, sweeping kick. His leg struck Onix’s lower body, sending the rock-serpent crashing to the floor and kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Onix! Use Bind again!”

“Luka, get out of the way!”

However, as the dust had yet to settle, the Riolu didn’t see Onix coming until it was too late. The rock-serpent took Luka by surprise, coiling around the emanation Pokémon like a snake.

“Tighten your binds, Onix!”

Luka cried out in pain as the coiling tightened beyond an uncomfortable level.

“Luka! Use Aura Sphere on it!” Ash yelled, a hint of fear seeping into his otherwise-level voice.

The Riolu tried to move his arms, but it was difficult with free them with Onix wrapped tightly around his body. It took several moments of twisting and pulling, before one arm finally popped out from the coils. Pooling his Aura towards his paw, Luka fired the glowing sphere straight at Onix’s head. The exploding Aura knocked its head backwards, inadvertently loosening its coils around the Riolu.

Luka immediately jumped out of Onix’s grasp, and hurried back to Ash’s side of the battlefield. Onix seemed to teeter and spin for several moments, disoriented from the direct blow to the head.

Seeing an opportunity, Ash decided to do something that he hasn’t done for a while now.

**_“Luka, can you hear me?”_ **

****

_“Ash? Why are you using telepathy with me?”_

**_“I don’t want Brock to hear this. I noticed that strangely, for Rock-type Gym, there are water sprinklers installed on the ceiling.”_ **

****

Luka immediately guessed what Ash was thinking, _“What do you want me to do?”_

**_“Fire an Aura Sphere at the overhead lights. With a bit of luck, the surge in electricity will cause a fire that will set off the sprinkler system. Do it quickly, before Onix gets a chance to recover!”_ **

****

_“You got it, Ash!”_

Ash immediately ended the connection, and sagged a little. Initiating telepathic communication with Luka was something he wasn’t used to, and took up quite a bit of his energy reserves. Even with two years of training under his belt, he still had a long way to go.

Luka pressed his paws together, and generated his Aura into a sphere not unlike the one he had used earlier against Onix. Once enough energy had coalesced, Luka fired the ball straight up towards one of the overhead lights. Upon contact, the sphere exploded, destroying the bulbs and setting off a surge of sparks that set the shell of the lamp on fire. The flames quickly consumed the cable holding the lamp to the ceiling, and spread rapidly. Immediately, the fire alarm went off, and the sprinklers were activated.

The deluge of water rained down in a gentle torrent. Onix roared and twisted in agony, unable to escape the pouring fluid that was one of its biggest weaknesses.

“Onix!” Brock cried.

“Now, Luka! Use Aura Sphere again and take it home!” Ash shouted over the din.

The young Riolu surged forward through the veil of water, Aura gathering in his paws for the third time in a matter of minutes. Luka leapt up to the struggling Onix and fired the glowing sphere of blue energy at it with enough force that even he was thrown backwards by the blowback.

Already weakened by the water, Onix stood no chance against the incoming sphere. The towering rock-serpent was blown backwards, and it crashed onto the floor in a dead faint.

The referee stared dumbly for a moment, before finding it within himself to call the match, “Onix is unable to battle! The victory goes to Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!”

Luka let out a joyful cry, before hurrying back to Ash.

“You were amazing out there, buddy,” the teen praised.

“Eev!”

_“All thanks to your sharp eyes and quick thinking,”_ Luka replied in his partner’s arms.

Brock recalled his unconscious Onix, just as the Gym staff were able to stop the sprinklers. Making his way across the soggy battlefield, he stopped before Ash.

“I have to say, Ash, that was really ingenious of you to use the sprinklers to your advantage. That honestly have never crossed my mind during my tenure as Gym leader!”

“It was luck and quick-thinking on my part,” Ash replied, “Though I suggest that you use fire extinguishers instead of sprinklers next time. Another sharp-eyed trainer might take advantage of that to score a win against you in the future.”

“True,” Brock chuckled, “I’ll take that into consideration. But anyway, you and your Pokémon did great today, and I will fulfil my duty as Gym leader by honouring your victory with the Boulder Badge.”

Brock dug into his vest pocket, and pulled out a small octagonal badge made of tin.

Ash took it, “Thanks Brock, you put up a great fight too. But…sorry about the lights though.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” Brock waved off, “The monthly stipend by the League covers all repair costs incurred during battles. Speaking of which, I do owe you a reward for beating me.”

The Gym leader whipped out what appeared to be his smartphone, and tapped the screen for a few moments. Ash felt his PokéNav Plus ping. Fishing it out and opening it, Ash saw the notification that two-thousand Pokédollars had been transferred into his bank account.

“Thanks, Brock!”

“Don’t mention it, Ash,” Brock put away his phone, “Now, why don’t we swing by the Pokémon Centre? Our Pokémon sure need a rest.”

* * *

“Tell me, Ash, was this your first Gym battle?”

Once their Pokémon had been handed over to Nurse Joy and her Chansey, Ash and Brock went to (unknowingly) sit down on the same sofa where Ash and Flint had sat the night before to wait for their Pokémon to come back with a clean bill of health.

“It is, actually.”

“So just starting out?” Brock remarked, “Impressive. If I didn’t know any better, I’d see you as a seasoned Trainer and not a newbie.”

“I trained with Luka for two years before starting off on my journey,” Ash replied, leaning back against the plush leather, “And I did my research before setting off. I wasn’t going to dive into things blind and make a fool out of myself and my partners. That’s why I taught Arion ‘Iron Tail’. I knew he would be at a disadvantage, and I didn’t want to just rely on Luka.”

“You’re certainly not like many other trainers who came before you,” said Brock, staring up to the ceiling, “Many challenge me with Pokémon they caught along Route 2 or the Viridian Forest. They paid no attention to type matchups or their Pokémon’s strengths. They thought they could get an easy win, and end up losing as a result.”

Ash nodded, before turning to Brock, “Hey, what about you? Did you go on a journey as a Trainer before you became a Gym leader?”

Here, Brock’s eyebrows furrowed, “I never had the privilege.”

“Eh? Why?”

“I was too busy to even leave Pewter City. Ash, just so you know, I am only eighteen this year, I have been the Gym leader since I was thirteen.”

“Since you were thirteen?!” Ash was stunned, “Shouldn’t your parents be heading the gym?”

Brock literally sneered, “My sperm and egg donors don’t deserve to be called parents. My good-for-nothing father went on his journey and never came back. Then my mother abandoned the family shortly after my fourteenth birthday. I have nine siblings, all younger than me, whom I have to take care and support through my monthly stipends from the League. My siblings take priority, therefore I can never leave Pewter City.”

“That’s fucked up…” Ash looked down to his clasped hands, “What kind of parents would do such a thing?”

“Looks like I pulled the short straw on the family lottery there,” Brock sighed.

Silence followed for a moment.

“Brock, I probably shouldn’t be asking this, but if you could leave Pewter City and travel the world, what would your dream job be?”

“It’s cool,” the Gym leader reassured, “When I was a small kid, I always dreamed of becoming a Pokémon breeder or doctor. But as you can see, that dream is nothing more than a distant memory at this point.”

Ash hummed, and fell back into silence.

**“Can Ash Ketchum and Brock Harrison come to the front counter please? Your Pokémon are healed and ready for collection.”**

Both stood up and went to the counter. Luka and Arion leapt back onto Ash’s shoulder and head respectively, while Brock collected his two Pokéballs.

“Thank you so much for waiting,” Nurse Joy bowed, “Have a great day ahead!”

“Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy,” Ash returned the bow, “You too.”

The pair turned to leave the Pokémon Centre.

“So back to the Gym for you?”

“Yep, a Gym leader’s job is never finished,” Brock replied, “Where are you off to?”

“The next city with a Gym is Cerulean,” Ash thought about it, “I probably need to set off right away if I want to get there by next wee-”

“Hey! What’s that?”

Ash found himself cut off when people all around him and Brock started running out of the Pokémon Centre, gathering at the platform outside and pointing towards the sky. Wondering what the commotion was all about, the pair hurried out of the Pokémon Centre to see it for themselves.

Against the backdrop of late morning sun, a golden avian could be seen streaking across the sky like a comet, a trail of rainbow sparkles spreading out from its tail feathers in its wake. On the ground, people had whipped out their phones to document the unexplained spectacle.

“Is that…a Pokémon?” Brock wondered.

Ash took out his PokéNav Plus, booted up the Pokédex function, and aimed at the avian.

**_“ Scan complete. There is no data available on this Pokémon.”_ **

**__ **

“Well, it is a Pokémon,” Ash said, “But my Pokédex is unable to identify it.”

Brock was about to comment on that when an almighty roar shook the heavens. The unknown avian changed direction, and seemed to hurtle straight towards the Pokémon Centre. The watching crowds screamed and scrambled away, but Ash and Brock remained frozen in place. Luka hopped off Ash’s shoulder and took on a defensive stance to protect his trainer.

The avian came to a stop just a few feet in front of Ash. It towered over the thirteen-year-old, its massive wing-span flapping languidly to keep it airborne. Brock slowly stepped away from the magnificent avian, leaving Ash and his Pokémon alone to face whatever it wanted to do to them.

For a few moments, all was silent, saving for the flapping of the avian’s wings. The watching crowds were still recording this momentous occasion that would become headlines throughout Kanto by the next day. Luka maintained his defensive stance against the avian, not daring to blink should it decide to do anything untoward to Ash.

Ash eventually found his tongue, “What…are you?”

The avian was silent for a second, before bursting into a loud, majestic roar that sent trembles down the spines of those watching. The avian rose a few metres into the air, and threw its wings to Ash. Three rainbow-coloured feathers broke away from the avian’s wings, and fluttered down towards Ash in trails of sparkles. The feathers swirled around the teen, the showering of sparkles raining over his cape and fused into the fabric, becoming tiny diamonds that glistened under the sunlight. The feathers themselves floated down to the hem of the cape, and just like the sparkles, fused into fabric.

Ash was at a complete loss for words.

The avian regarded him for a moment longer, then roaring for what was to be the final time. It flapped its wings, and shot up into the sky in a trail of gold and colours, disappearing with a twinkling of light.

All was silent for several seconds after the avian vanished into the sky. Then, came a great cacophony of noise as the gathered crowds found their tongues.

“Ash…” Brock slowly approached the silent teen, “What the fuck just happened?”

“I…don’t know,” Ash muttered, “I-It honestly felt like a dream. I-I don’t know why that unknown Pokémon came to me. It felt like it was trying to tell me something. I don’t know what but…”

Brock had an idea, “When that Pokémon came close, I felt a great power radiating from it. It was almost god-like, as if its mere being is higher than that of humans and ordinary Pokémon.” The look on his face turned serious, “Ash, I think that Pokémon came to you because you are special. You are far from an ordinary trainer, and you are destined to do great things on your journey. You are incredibly lucky, Ash. I never got to even start on my dream thanks to my good-for-nothing parents and my duties as a brother and Gym leader. But you have the chance, and it is a chance that you must never squander. Please Ash, in my place, I want you to live out your dream to the fullest. Be the best trainer the world has ever seen, and make a name for yourself and your Pokémon.”

Ash was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained his composure and nodded resolutely, “You can count on me, Brock.”

Footsteps approached the pair.

“Brock, go ahead and fulfil your dream.”

Ash and Brock spun around.

“Flint!”

Ash was surprised to see the bearded man who he talked with the night before. But surprise quickly became shock when Flint literally pulled his beard off his face and removed his hat. There stood a man who looked like a much-older Brock.

“My father…” Brock growled.

Ash’s shock went up a level, “Huh?! You mean you’re the good-for-nothing, syphilitic, gonorrhoea-and-crabs-infected father who left home and never came back?!”

Flint winced at the insults, before sighing, “That’s right. I aimed to be the ultimate Pokémon trainer. But I couldn’t become one, and I was so ashamed of my failure that I couldn’t bear to return to face my family.”

Ash deadpanned Flint, “Mr. Harrison, that is by far the most stupidest reason I have ever heard for not returning to your family.”

Flint winced again, and Brock was taken aback by the teen’s sudden venomous tone, “A-Ash…”

“So what that you couldn’t become the ultimate Pokémon Trainer? Your family takes fucking priority! Did you even know that your wife ran out the front door four years ago, leaving Brock to take care of nine young children all by himself?! No amount of shame will ever change the fact that you have a family that loves you no matter your flaws! Instead you choose to wallow in your self-pity and neglect the very people that you are supposed to take care of!”

Brock wasn’t sure whether to intervene, but gasped quietly when a blue glow started radiating from Ash’s body, steadily growing brighter the longer the teen carried on with his rant.

Luka immediately intervened, _“Ash, you’ve got to calm down. Your Aura is acting up again.”_

Ash stopped mid-tirade, taking long, deep breaths to reign in his Aura. The blue glow slowly faded as his heart rate mellowed down. Once he was in a calmer state of mind, Ash returned to Flint, a disapproving frown furrowing his face, “The least you can do, Mr. Harrison, is to become the father your children sorely lacked due to your own cowardice. Make up for lost time. I don’t know where their mother had run off to, but they certainly need a parental figure now that you’re back.”

Flint nodded after a moment of silence, “You’re right. I’ve let my family down for too long. It’s time I made amends.”

“Make sure you do,” Ash replied sternly.

Brock approached, “Dad…”

“Hm?”

Out of thin air, Brock produced a long list, “Suzy always dirties her clothes so always have detergent on hand. Timmy only eats ramen for breakfast, and Tommy eats cornflakes for dinner. Cindy sleepwalks so always make sure to tie a bell around her wrist, the twins-”

“S-Slow down!” Flint panicked, “I can’t read that fast!”

Off to the side, Ash, Luka and Arion all sweatdropped.

“Well…I guess that’s that.”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

\-------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I just give our bumbling wannabe ladies-man his bisexual awakening?
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Yes. Yes I did.
> 
> So not much from me this time around, other than the usual protocol. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, everyone, and stay healthy.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	7. Kanto 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and company head out to Mt. Moon to document a rarely-seen evolution ritual, mixed with a new addition to the team, a dash of Brock being a bisexual disaster, a sprinkling of Ash's uncle, Champion Lance, and a vicious takedown of a potential Team Rocket cell. Served warm.

While all that was happening, many kilometres away in a large castle that stood among the ridges of rocky mountains that made up the landscape of north-western Kanto, a tall, powerfully-built man with red hair styled up in spikes that resemble that of a Gyarados sat at his desk, eyebrows furrowed as he went through page after page of the sizeable pile of paperwork that stood waiting to be assessed.

This was routine for the Champion of the Kanto and Johto regions, Lance Wataru, Dragon-type specialist and Pokémon Master.

Many trainers dreamed of his job, as the region’s most powerful trainer whom millions looked up to for guidance and leadership. Lance internally laughed, no one considered all the logistics and paperwork that came with being Champion. In fact, if he had to estimate, Lance believed that he spent at least forty-percent of his time on paperwork. Fifty-three percent of the time was governing the region and upkeeping law and order. And the remaining two-percent was battling to retain his title. He could count on his two hands how many trainers had beat the rest of the Elite Four and earned the right to challenge him, and none have ever beaten him in a battle.

Lance paused to stretch his back. He’d been sitting down for too long.

That was how Elite Four Fighting-type specialist Bruno found him, pacing around the office.

“Um…Lance? Is this a bad time?”

The Champion looked towards the door, “Oh, Bruno. No, everything is okay. How may I help you?”

Bruno entered the office, closing the doors behind him. He produced a tablet from his pants pocket.

“Have you seen the headlines?”

“No, haven’t had the time to check the news,” Lance shook his head, “Is there something that needs to be brought to my attention?”

The dark-skinned Fighting-type specialist handed over the tablet, which had an online news article on screen. Lance read the headline, and turned his attention towards the accompanying photograph.

It was a screenshot, most likely taken from a video. But what got the Champion’s notice was the caped teenager standing in front of the giant, majestic avian that towered over him in size and grandeur.

While the teenager’s face was hidden as the screenshot was taken from his back, Lance recognised that cape anywhere. It had been a birthday gift for someone very close to his heart.

“I never expected the day that Ho-Oh, Lord of the Skies and God of Kanto and Johto, would come to my nephew and gift him with three of his feathers.”

“Wait, that’s your nephew?” Bruno was surprised.

“Indeed it is,” Lance nodded, returning the tablet.

“But…why would Ho-Oh come to your nephew?”

“To be honest, my friend, I have no clue,” Lance admitted, walking towards the window that stood behind his desk, “But…ever since I’ve laid eyes on the boy when my sister carried him in her arms after the birth, I always had the inkling that he was someone special. I am no psychic, but I believed that he was bound for an extraordinary life. This only cements my belief. Do you know the significance of Ho-Oh gifting him his feathers?”

“Not…particularly,” Bruno scratched his cheek, “but I presume that it is something powerful?”

“More than powerful,” Lance corrected, “By gifting Ash his feathers, Ho-Oh has given my nephew a power that many could only dream of ever possessing. Using the feathers, Ash can literally summon Ho-Oh to him if he so wanted. Granted, as far as I know the feathers will disintegrate after one use, but being able to summon a God is a power almost unfathomable to the normal layperson.”

The Fighting-type specialist whistled, “Fuck, you can say that again. But does Ash know this?”

“I doubt he would,” Lance replied, staring out into the mountain range, “The secrets of Legendaries are only known to the Champion and Elite Four of the different regions. My nephew will have to find out for himself. Granted, I’d take this as a silver-lining. Ash may be more mature than most teenagers his age if my sister’s words are any indication, but there’s that old saying, ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’. The last thing I want is my nephew getting a big head from the false belief that he could summon Legendaries to his will. No, if I had my way, Ash would never even know the significance of Ho-Oh’s gift until it was time for him to learn the truth. With a bit of luck, his maturity will supersede any arrogance that could arise from summoning the Lord of the Skies.”

Bruno couldn’t find any fault with that reasoning.

“That being said, given Ho-Oh’s sudden appearance to my nephew, his journey is going to be far from normal, let me tell you straight-up, Bruno.”

Lance turned back towards his friend, eyes glinting with fondness, "Ash is going to go far, further than any trainer has gone before or since. You can bet my title on that.”

* * *

After the entire debacle over the unknown avian Pokémon, now known as Ho-Oh, and with Flint; father and son, along with Ash, went back to the Harrison residence to allow Brock to pack. There, Ash and his Pokémon were acquainted with all nine of Brock’s younger siblings. The curiosity the young children displayed over Luka negated some of the ensuing awkwardness . The second-eldest child, Forrest, had given his father his own earful for just showing up like that, until Brock got him to calm down. Ash knew right away that Flint had his work cut out for him if he wanted to earn the forgiveness of his children. But so long as the patriarch put in the effort, Ash wasn’t going to say anything.

As Brock went to get ready, Ash requested to borrow the phone to contact his mother. The conversation was a lively one on Delia’s end, mainly because she had grown worried when she sat down to watch the regional news and her son was prominently seen on screen being accosted by the giant avian Pokémon. Ash quickly reassured her that she was fine, and furthermore, he had a travelling companion now. Brock paused in his packing to say ‘hi’ to Delia, whom once the Gym leader had gone, nodded to Ash approvingly.

Once Brock was ready with his hiker’s backpack of supplies, he and Ash bade farewell to his siblings and Flint, departing back to the city towards Route 3.

It should have been an unremarkable stroll through Pewter. But when a sizeable crowd witnessed a majestic unknown avian gift a caped teenager three beautiful rainbow feathers, naturally people would demand answers. Within an hour, social media was blowing up with videos of the encounter and news crews were scoping around the city looking for the ‘chosen one’ as people were already dubbing the boy as.

So when Ash and Brock stepped back into downtown Pewter…

“Chosen One! Over here!”

“Can we have a few words?”

Ash was stunned. Out of nowhere, he and Brock were mobbed by camera-people and reporters shoving microphones and recorders into his face like an incoming tidal wave.

“Chosen One! Can you tell us why that Pokémon came to you?” one reporter asked amidst a strobe of flashing camera bulbs.

“Do you know what that Pokémon is? And why did it give you its feathers?” another shouted.

“Um…I-I don’t know!” Ash stuttered, unsure of what to do with the crowd getting into his personal space.

“Chosen One! Can we have a picture of your cape?”

“Turn around for the cameras!”

Brock decided that intervention was needed, “Oi! Oi! Get back, you fuckers! You’re making Ash uncomfortable!”

“Ash? Is that his name?”

“Mr. Harrison, you were there when the Pokémon appeared to Ash. Can we get your statement?”

Despite Brock’s best attempts, the crowd of reporters and camera-people did not abate, and seemed to only grow as more showed up in news vans. Arion whimpered from the loud noises and flashing lights, and Luka looked ready to jump out of Ash’s cape and blast the crowds away with an overpowered Aura Sphere. Luckily, before the health of the reporters could be compromised, Officer Jenny and a squadron of deputies arrived after being notified of the crowd blocking the flow of traffic.

“Alright, that’s it! Everyone, disperse, right now!”

Ash finally breathed a sigh of relief when the reporters and camera-people were herded away, some protesting against the wall of deputies keeping them back.

Officer Jenny approached the pair, “Are you two alright?”

“We’re fine, thank you for your help,” Brock replied, “I feared that the reporters were about to overstep their bounds.”

“Are you two going anywhere?” Jenny asked.

“We were planning on leaving Pewter City for Route 3,” Ash replied.

“Then you two best have a police escort until the city boundaries,” Jenny decided, “News of your encounter with that unknown Pokémon would have spread to at least half the region by this point, Mr. Ketchum. My deputies can keep unwanted hecklers at bay for now, but they can’t be everywhere. And goodness knows the entire city is waiting to jump upon you for answers to your encounter.”

“Thanks a lot, Officer,” Ash nodded, “That would be most appreciated.”

“Come along then, you two.”

Officer Jenny led Ash and Brock to a waiting cruiser. Once inside, Jenny radioed her deputies to ease their duties and return to their cruisers and motorcycles. No longer held back, some of the news crews tried to follow, but were quickly left behind by the departing entourage.

From there, things were much more smooth-sailing. Officer Jenny dropped Ash and Brock off at the city boundaries, and the pair headed out onto Route 3. Ash released Adira from her Pokéball to let her have some fresh air and get a bit of training done. She sharpened her scythes on some rocks, and practiced her Flying-type attacks on some tree trunks. Ash had Luka and Arion train together, although he would allow only his Eevee to use moves against the Riolu, given the type disadvantage.

Route 3 was significantly longer than Route 2, so the group camped out a few times when nightfall came. Ash quickly learned that Brock was a master cook, which honestly wasn’t surprising since he did take care of his nine younger siblings for years. But Brock’s hand-made food were a massive step-up from the MREs and ready-made Pokémon food that Ash had previously bought from PokéMarts, and Ash made it abundantly clear after his first bite.

“Thanks to you Brock, I now no longer have to rely on MREs!”

The Gym leader decided to tease Ash a little, “Oh? Is that why you want me around? Just to become your personal chef? I’m seriously hurt, Ash, you wound me so!”

Ash stuck his tongue out, but quickly regained his maturity, “On a serious note, can you teach me how to cook? I only know so much from what my Mum showed me.”

Brock was more than happy to oblige. As Ash was a novice, the Gym leader focused on simple culinary skills. Ash was a quick learner, and after a day or so, Brock deemed him ready for the more heavier stuff.

It was evening when the group set up camp once again. They were about two-thirds of the way through Route 3 in the direction towards Mt. Moon. Ash had battled several more trainers along the way, winning all of his battles but leaving him somewhat ragged by the time it was decided to camp for the night.

A river ran next to their campsite, which Brock brought to Ash’s attention once the tents were up.

“Tonight, I want to teach you how to prepare fish.”

“Fish?” Ash asked.

“Magikarp, specifically,” Brock replied, “They are the only Water-type Pokémon we’re legally allowed to catch and dispatch for meals according to League laws.”

“Huh,” Ash remarked, “Is it because they are so common?”

“That’s right,” Brock grinned, “In some places, they are seen as a nuisance or even an invasive species. They breed and reproduce at an alarming rate. I believe that even if the entire planet turned to a Magikarp-only diet, we’d still have plenty more to serve until the world decides to end.”

Ash raised an eyebrow in consideration, that was a little fact that he hadn’t known before.

Oh well, he’d learn something new everyday.

“So now we attempt to catch one?”

“Yep!” Brock reached into his backpack and pulled out two foldable fishing rods, “Ever gone fishing before?”

“Pallet Town is quite close to the ocean, but I’ve never fished before.”

“Time to learn then! Just watch me.”

Ash watched how Brock set up the reel and lined the string along the rod. He managed to do the same after a bit of fiddling. Once bait was added to the hooks, came the long game of waiting. As they waited for a bite, Brock divulged in a number of stories regarding his younger siblings. The Gym leader was just talking about how Cindy came home from school with her head standing on end as if she had been electrified when the reel of Ash’s fishing rod began to run.

“Here we go!”

Ash quickly spun the reel backwards, pulling the line in. A few seconds later, something broke the surface.

“Oh…that’s not a Magikarp.”

Indeed it was not. The Pokémon looked like a blue, spherical tadpole. It had large eyes, pink lips, and a white stomach with a black swirl taking up most of the circle.

“That’s a Poliwag,” said Brock.

Ash took out his PokéNav Plus and scanned the Poliwag.

**_ “Scan complete. Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokémon. Poliwag has a very thin skin. It is possible to see the Pokémon's spiral innards right through the skin. Despite its thinness, however, the skin is also very flexible. Even sharp fangs bounce right off it.” _ **

“Interesting,” Ash noted, “But not what I was looking for. Well, off you go, little fella.”

Ash got Poliwag off the hook, and waited for it to return to the river. But, strangely, the little Tadpole Pokémon made no movement. It continued to stare up at Ash with curious eyes. After several moments, he wasn’t sure what to do next.

“Um…Poliwag, you do know that you can go back to the water right? I don’t have any intention of battling or capturing you.”

“Poli! Poli!"  
  


To Ash bemusement, Poliwag waddled over to him, and hopped onto his lap. The tadpole Pokémon made a noise of contentment as it settled into place.

Brock laughed, “I think the little guy likes you, Ash!”

Curious, Luka came over, and made soft conversation with the Poliwag. He then turned to Ash, _“She wants you to capture her. She’s been living in this river her entire life, and wants to see the world around her.”_

“Huh, interesting,” Ash remarked, “Well, I can relate to wanting to see the world, but are you sure that is what you want, Poliwag?”

“Poli!”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Ash nodded, “Come with me, I’ll get a Pokéball.”

The caped teen carried Poliwag back to the campsite, where Arion and Adira were sitting around a campfire. They looked up when they heard their trainer approach, and turned curious looks to Poliwag.

“Hey Arion and Adira, this is Poliwag. She’ll be joining our team starting today, so be good to her, okay?”

“Eev!”

“Scy.”

Ash put Poliwag down, and went to grab a Pokéball from his bag. Arion came over and made small conversation with the tadpole, and the two seemed to get along very quickly. Ash returned, and tapped Poliwag with the Pokéball. It opened, and the tadpole was sucked inside. The Pokéball wiggled twice in his hand before locking.

Ash beamed, and released the latest addition to the team. Poliwag looked around curiously, not used to the experience of being in a Pokéball.

“Hey Poliwag, how about a name? I give them to every new member of my team.”

The tadpole considered the offer for a moment, before nodding.

“Great! I do have a name on hand actually. I’m thinking Zarya, it's the name of a water priestess and protector of warriors. You can choose to become a Poliwrath when you evolve, and you’ll be both water and fighting-type. You’ll be fluid and strong. So how about that?”

Poliwag took another moment to think, “Poli! Poliwag!”

“Right then, Zarya it is!”

At the same moment, Ash heard Brock make a noise of attention, and the sound of the line being reeled in. There was a splash, and a whoop from Brock. The Gym leader returned a few moments later, holding a flopping Magikarp proudly by the hook.

“We’ve got a whopper for dinner tonight!”

Ash whistled, “That’s far bigger than the regular Magikarp.”

“Indeed it is! There more than enough for even our Pokémon if we want to give them a share.”

Ash turned to his team. Adira shook her head, while Luka, Zarya and Arion looked interested.

“Save three servings.”

“Got it, now come over Ash, I’m going to teach you how to gut a fish.”

It was an eye-opening, if bloody experience. Brock explained how to snuff the life out of the Magikarp quickly and efficiently so it doesn’t realise it is dead. Then came the act of cutting the fish open, deboning it and removing all of its innards. Ash had no problem with the blood, considering how he spilt some when he killed off those Team Rocket grunts’ Pokémon back at Viridian, but he could understand why it would be a queasy, if nauseating sight for others.

“Can the organs be eaten?”

“Of course! I try to ensure that nothing goes to waste when preparing Magikarp,” Brock replied, “I know of a recipe from the Efribiǫð region where fish livers are cut into pieces, poached and served with roe and boiled potatoes.”

“Is it possible that we can try that?” asked Ash.

“Worry not, Ash,” Brock grinned, “We’re eating like kings tonight!”

Ash returned the grin.

* * *

“I never expected Magikarp liver to taste like this,” Ash remarked.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Brock gave a knowing look, “And to think that most people would just throw it away!”

“Well, I know my Mum isn’t one of them,” Ash added, “At the restaurant she runs, any leftover food or waste gets composted and sent to the town gardens.”

“Your Mum sounds like a resourceful person.”

“She is indeed.”

The two fell into a short, companiable silence, save for the flickering of the campfire, and their Pokémon digging into their meals.

“Actually, Ash, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Shoot, Brock.”

“When you went off on my father, your body started glowing a blue light. What was that?”

Ash put his plate down on his lap, he’d expected such a question, “That was my Aura.”

“Aura?” Brock cocked his head.

“Aura is the life essence of every living being on this planet,” Ash explained, “There are certain individuals who are able to sense Aura and utilise its power. I am one of those people. One of my goals is actually to become an Aura Guardian, to use my Aura to help the world.”

The Gym leader nodded, “What can Aura do?”

“Many things,” Ash grinned, “From what Luka has taught me, an Aura Guardian is able to read the minds of other beings, sense the Aura of others through a technique called ‘Aura Sight’, and project their Aura in the form of physical attacks or defences. I can even communicate with Luka through telepathy, though it is usually from his end. I still haven’t completely mastered initiating a telepathic link from my side.”

Brock rubbed his chin, then a thought came to mind, “Wait, then when your Riolu attacked the Gym’s lights to set off the sprinklers, you told him to do so via…?”

“Telepathy, yeah,” Ash nodded, “I didn’t want to give away an advantage by openly communicating with Luka. Though, it did leave me a little bit knackered after that. I’m working on strengthening myself to take the taxing effort of initiating telepathy.”

Brock whistled, “Hoo boy, if anything, I’d say that you are an overpowered protagonist on a journey to becoming an all-powerful god or something!”

“I think becoming an all-powerful god is stretching it way too much, Brock,” Ash sweatdropped.

The Gym leader smirked, “If you say so, Ash.”

* * *

Once everything was cleared away, Ash and Brock retreated into the tent for the night.

Their sleeping bags were only inches apart, but the Gym leader had jokingly reassured Ash that he doesn’t snore when he slept.

The night passed without incident, save for the sound of nocturnal Pokémon all around them. But it was when the sun rose with the new day, that things got a bit interesting.

Ash emerged from a dreamless slumber, body shifting and eyelids slowly opening. The sound of Pidgey chirping outside pulled him further into the consciousness.

That was when he felt something draped over his body.

As his vision cleared up, Ash realised that he was only less than two centimetres from Brock. The Gym leader had somehow shuffled closer towards him during the night, and his arm had made its way over Ash’s body. If someone were to come into the tent at that very moment, they might think that the pair were spooning.

Not that Ash had anything against that.

Ash had never shared a sleeping space with anyone until now. But instead of being adverse to such closeness (especially with someone whom he had only known for a short while), Ash found it quite enjoyable. He could feel Brock’s warmth from the almost-contact, and it made him feel safe. Sure, he had his team, but human contact provided an extra level of security that Ash wholeheartedly appreciated.

He allowed himself to bask in his travelling companion’s proximity for a minute or so, before shuffling out of his sleeping bag. Brock’s arm slid down to Ash’s waist as he sat up, falling limply to the tent floor. Ash crawled over to Luka and Arion, who were still asleep at a corner.

He gently shook them, “Luka, Arion, time to wake up.”

The Riolu stirred awake, _“Ash? What…time is it?”_ The Eevee followed suit, yawning widely.

“Time for some training before breakfast,” Ash replied, “C’mon, let’s get moving.”

* * *

Half an hour later, Brock woke up to loud noises ringing from outside the tent. Despite still being half-asleep, the Gym leader didn’t have to guess that Ash was leading his Pokémon in rigorous training not too far away.

Rubbing his eyes, Brock stretched his joints, and emerged from the tent into the new day. Yawning once, he went around the tent to let Ash know he was awake.

The sight that stood before him ensured that the Gym leader was immediately awake.

Ash stood tall, and shirtless, as trained alongside his Pokémon. Adira the Scyther was sharpening her scythes and swiping hard against a large tree as she practiced Fury Cutter. Arion had his tail hardened to steel and training it against a large boulder. Luka and Zarya were having a mock battle under Ash’s supervision. The Poliwag was shooting Water Guns at the Riolu, who dodged each gush of water as a form of stamina-building.

But it was Ash that Brock’s attention was focused.

Back when they had their battle at Pewter Gym, Brock got his first glimpse of Ash’s impressive physique. But even then, he still had a t-shirt on. Now, as he was topless, Brock was treated to the sight of Ash’s broad, sculpted back that glistened with sweat under the morning sun, muscles flexing and rippling with each movement. Brock once again found his heart picking up speed, and his mouth drying.

The Gym leader quickly clapped his cheeks, he mustn’t get turned on by his thirteen-year-old travelling companion. With how bad his hormones could get, Brock didn’t want to get brought up on charges of unsavoury acts against a minor.

He took a few minutes to calm his raging nerves down, before turning to Ash again.

“Morning, Ash!”

The younger teen turned around, as did his Pokémon. For the second time that morning, Brock almost lost control of his hormones as sweat rolled down almost-sinfully over Ash’s washboard abs.

“Brock! Good morning, just woke up?”

The Gym leader was silent for a moment before he pulled himself together, “Uh yeah! I did, I’m just going to start on breakfast!”

Brock quickly darted back into the tent, mostly to hide his rising blush. Ash raised an eyebrow, as did his Pokémon, but ultimately thought nothing of it as he resumed training for a short while more.

* * *

After breakfast, washing up and keeping away the tent, Ash and Luka spent ten minutes meditating by the river, before they were ready and once again on the move.

“If we keep at it, we should be able to reach Vermilion City by next week. From there Cerulean is just beyond Saffron City to the north.”

“That’s cool, Brock. However, I want to take the Mt. Moon route to Cerulean.”

“Mt. Moon?”

“Besides being a Pokémon trainer and Aura Guardian-in-training, I am also a research assistant to Professor Samuel Oak,” Ash explained, “There is a phenomenon inside Mt. Moon that is fabled around researchers. Hopefully I am able to document it and send it over to Professor Oak for further research.”

“Are you talking about the legend of the Moon Stone?”

“That’s right,” Ash nodded, “People call it a legend because no one has ever seen it with their own eyes, let alone document it.”

“But won’t people be encouraged to scope out the Moon Stone for whatever ulterior motive they may have if pictures of it are released?”

“That is true, but I’m not planning of documenting the stone itself,” Ash continued, “Rather, the legend talks about a certain species of Pokémon who utilise the Moon Stone to evolve. From what little research there is, this Pokémon is called Clefairy, and they are known to be very elusive. I hoping that if I can document their evolution, I can further the research towards this unique species of Pokémon.”

Brock found no reason to argue against that, so the group continued on Route 3 towards the majestic mountain.

* * *

It took another day’s worth of travelling and camping to reach the base of Mt. Moon. The entrance into a cave that wormed its way into the mountain stood a little off the path from Route 3. The group approached the entrance, staring off into the inky darkness where light never penetrated a few feet in.

“It’s really dark,” Brock remarked, “Luckily I brought a flashlight with me.”

“No, we can’t use any form of light inside the cave,” Ash replied, stopping his travelling companion, “There are plenty of wild Pokémon who are sensitive to light, and could attack if exposed to artificial light.”

“Then how are we going to find our way inside?”

“Luka and I have been practicing what we call ‘Aura Sight’,” Ash explained, the young Riolu nodding, “We use Aura to navigate locations where there is no light. It’s kind of like echolocation, practice-wise.”

Luka jumped up onto Ash’s shoulder, and closed his eyes. Ash did the same, and together, trainer and Pokémon placed their hand (or paw) against the rocky wall of the cave. Brock watched with curiosity as their hand and paw released a burst of blue Aura, which travelled in waves further into the tunnel and out of sight.

For a few moments, all was silent, until Ash’s breath hitched.

“Brock, release your Pokémon, now!”

“W-What…?”

“Just do it!”

Still perplexed, the Gym leader released his Geodude and Onix, just as a loud noise reverberated from inside the cave. Very quickly, Brock understood why Ash wanted him to release his Pokémon.

From the very depths of the mountain, out came a literal swarm of Zubat, screeching frantically as if they were fleeing from some kind of predator.

Ash released Adira, but kept Zarya within her Pokéball. In their panic, some of the Zubat swooped down towards the group, thinking that they were enemies out to hurt them. Realising this battle was not one he should take part in, Luka quickly hid himself inside Ash’s cape.

“Adira, use Air Slash and Wing Attack repeatedly! Arion, use Iron Tail!”

“Onix and Geodude, use Rock Blast!”

The Pokémon got down to business, taking on the incoming Zubat on their trainers’ orders. Adira used her wings to send slicing gusts of wind that knocked some back. Arion hit the Zubat that got too close like baseballs, and the two Rock-type Pokémon blasted large boulders at the bat Pokémon, knocking some out of the sky and frightening the others further.

The entire battle lasted about a minute, which was more than enough time for the Zubat to realise this was a fight they couldn’t win. The rest quickly evaded the trainers’ Pokémon and took off into the sky, disappearing from sight.

All was silent for a moment, before Ash and Brock dared to breathe again.

“You sensed them coming, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Ash nodded, Luka peeking out of his cape to ensure that the coast was clear, “but what I’m not sure of is what got them in such a frenzy in the first place. As far as I know, Zubat don’t have any natural predators…”

Ash glanced into the tunnel.

“Well, only one way to find out. C’mon Brock.”

“Thank Arceus I’m not afraid of the dark…” the Gym leader muttered to himself, before following his companion into the heart of the mountain.

For several minutes, it was complete darkness save for the regular wave of blue light that pulsed from Ash’s hand and Luka’s paw. More than once the trainers could hear unknown Pokémon darting past in the elaborate cave network that spanned the inside of the mountain. Occasionally, the group would encounter wild Geodude, Paras, and a few more Zubat on their way down. Each and every single one of these Pokémon took one look at the group and ran off into the darkness like their very lives depended on it.

This worried Ash. From his time learning under Professor Oak, the young trainer knew this was abnormal behaviour. While most wild Pokémon were understandably wary of humans, seeing them so terrified could only mean that there was a threat somewhere in this cave.

Then, as they turned a corner, Ash’s worries were founded, with the sudden appearance of light, and voices.

“Everyone, be as quiet as possible,” Ash whispered, “There are people ahead.”

The group stilled before the corner where the light was coming from. Ash slowly peered around to see who these people were.

Thanks to the bright lamps lighting up the cave, Ash spotted two men, dressed in identical black uniforms and hats. However, what was concerning was that on the chest of the uniforms, was a bright red capital letter ‘R’. Ash started, he recognised that ‘R’ from those two Team Rocket grunts who invaded the Viridian City Pokémon Centre and were subsequently curbstomped by him and Luka. Why these two new grunts were in Mt. Moon Ash hadn’t immediately known, but their next words made their intentions as clear as day, and it worried the young trainer.

“How many more to go?”

“Just until the main cave network,” the other grunt told his compatriot, “The others will take over from there until they reach the fabled Moon Stone.”

“Do you think that it’s actually real?”

“Who fucking cares? If it’s real then Team Rocket is going to get a major boost! If it isn’t real, at least there are plenty of Pokémon for us to steal and take back to HQ. The boss always appreciates more cannon fodder.”

Ash frowned as the two grunts shared a laugh. He turned back to Brock and their Pokémon, “They will soon be eating their words.”

“Ash, are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” the younger trainer nodded resolutely, “Luka and I have taken down two other grunts ourselves back in Viridian City.” This was not said with an air of arrogance, rather a stated fact, “Furthermore, these grunts are, as they said, cannon fodder. Individually or in pairs, they are easy to take down. My guess is that these cowards attack in large groups to overwhelm their opponents. We’d best nip the problem in the bud before it becomes too big.”

Brock eventually nodded after a moment of thought, “If you say so, Ash. But I’m acting as back-up, just in case.”

“Much appreciated.”

Ash turned to his team, who nodded in readiness. From around the corner, the two grunts shared another laugh, whether from an inside joke or something more nefarious Ash didn’t know, and didn’t care.

It was time to take out the trash.

Ash and his Pokémon turned the corner and faced the two grunts. Ash cleared his throat, getting their attention.

He didn’t waste a second.

“Luka, Aura Sphere them.”

The young Riolu coalesced his Aura into a glowing blue sphere, and fired it at the grunts before they could comprehend that they had been discovered. The sphere exploded within inches of the grunts, throwing them back into what appeared to be a generator. The lamps flickered from the impact.

“Agh! You fucking brat! Rattata, go!”

“Sandshrew! Finish that bastard!”

The two Pokémon burst out of their Pokéballs, prepared to fight.

Ash remained composed, “Luka, use Force Palm on the Rattata. Adira, use Air Slash on the Sandshrew, followed by an Iron Tail immediately after, Arion.”

The three Pokémon jumped into battle. Luka pulled his paw back, drew energy together, and slammed it into the Rattata’s face. There was the unmistakable sound of bones fracturing, before the purple rat Pokémon was sent flying past the grunts and into the cave wall. Adira sped up her wings and shot several piercing slices of air at the Sandshrew, knocking it back several feet before Arion swatted it right into a grunt’s face with his hardened tail. The ground mouse Pokémon peeled off the man’s face and hit the ground with a thud. It didn’t move again.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ash surged forward and punched one grunt to the ground. He kicked the second right in the balls, before throwing another punch knocked the man out. Spinning on his heel, Ash brought his leg up and stomped his foot right into the first grunt’s head, breaking his jaw and splintering several teeth.

Brock gapped in disbelief at the brutal savagery before him. All the while Ash dusted off his hands and scrapped his shoe against the cave floor to wipe off the blood. He turned to the Gym leader, who minutely flinched under the glowing honey-whiskey irises that seeped with adrenaline and power.

“Brock, do you have any rope? I don’t want to risk these grunts getting away.”

Brock found his words after a moment of stupor, “Uh yes, right here. Just hang on a moment.”

As the Gym leader fumbled with his backpack, Ash turned to his team, “Great job, everyone. Now let’s clean up this mess.”

Ash instructed Adira to slice the cable and Arion to destroy the lamps and generator once the power was cut. As Brock busied himself with tying up the unconscious grunts, Ash earned more noises further down the tunnel. He and Luka shared a look, before hurrying deeper into the cave.

They reached a small cavern not too long after. What he saw made his stomach curdle.

Rows of cages, stacked three high, filled the cavern. Inside, were dozens of Pokémon native to Mt. Moon. While he recognised many right away, Ash did a double-take when he saw two Clefairy stuffed into one of the caves.

“Luka, go check on the Pokémon. I’ll find a way to open the cages.”

The Riolu nodded, and hurried over to the Clefairy. Ash went over to one of the cages which held a Zubat. It had backed itself further into the cage, thinking that Ash was going to hurt him.

“Relax, I’m not like those Team Rocket grunts. My partner and I are going to get you guys out of here.”

The Zubat stopped shivering, but stayed put. Ash examined the cage for any means to unlock it.

_“Ash,”_ Luka said through their telepathic bond, _“the Clefairy told me that the cage doors are electrically charged. Some of the other Pokémon are hurt from contact with the electricity.”_

“Any life-threatening injuries?”

_“No, but some have burns.”_

At that same moment, the light from the lamps outside the cavern went out. The soft hum of electricity that permeated the cavern died down with the light. In the darkness, Ash used his Aura to locate the lock on Zubat’s cage, pushing the energy inside to undo the locking mechanism. He spread his aura to the rest of the cages, combining with Luka’s Aura and unlocking all at one go. The doors swung open, and all the trapped Pokémon rushed out of their prisons, scrambling out of the cavern back to wherever they came from. The injured ones remained behind, sticking close to Ash as he herded them out.

Then Brock came around with his flashlight, “Ash, the police are on their way.”

“Good,” Ash nodded, “I have about half a dozen injured Pokémon with me. Let’s get them and the grunts out.”

* * *

Officer Jenny and her squadron of deputies arrived in record time. The deputies split their duties between tending to the injured Pokémon Ash had brought out, and manhandling the Rocket grunts into a waiting police cruiser.

Just like back at the Viridian City Pokémon Centre, this Jenny questioned Ash on his role in the entire debacle. The interrogation was briefly interrupted by Brock suddenly going love-struck over Jenny, taking her hand and professing his undying love for her in a manner that was both pitiful and cringeworthy. To her credit, Jenny didn’t even bat an eye at the sudden confession, though Ash ended the ordeal by pulling a plastic orange bat out from his backpack and giving it a hard swing at the Gym leader’s head.

With Brock on the ground with a large bump throbbing on his temple, Ash put away the bat and returned to Officer Jenny.

“You were saying?”

Jenny looked nonplussed for a brief second, before stern professionalism took over, “Mr. Ketchum, right? Did you have any prior knowledge of Team Rocket operating in the area?”

“No ma’am,” Ash shook his head, “Brock and I were here merely to research the Clefairy. We had no idea that Team Rocket was in the mountain.”

“And were you the reason why those two grunts require urgent medical attention?”

“Look, Officer Jenny, Team Rocket nearly stole my partner away from me the last time round,” Ash replied, Luka making himself known to Jenny, who stared at him for a moment before returning to Ash, “These grunts may only be cannon fodder, but they are still part of a criminal organisation. They deserve more than the fractured bones and splintered teeth I gave them earlier.”

“But what if they were not grunts? Team Rocket has higher-ups called Executives, and they are far more dangerous than grunts. What would you do if you encountered them in the caves?”

“Then I’ll scope the situation,” Ash replied without hesitation, “If they are too strong, I will tactically retreat. I know our limitations as a team, but I also have been training for two years before I started off on my journey. And whether it was luck or circumstance, it was only grunts in the mountain this time round. They were easy to dispatch if one was not adverse to physical violence.”

Jenny blinked, before nodding, “While I don’t usually condone violence, I should at least thank you for intervening. You probably stopped an operation that was in its preliminary stages by getting involved. A cash reward will be wired to your account by the end of the day.”

“No problem, Officer Jenny.”

With her business concluded, Jenny went back to her deputies to debrief them before they escorted the grunts away. Ash sighed, glad that the whole ordeal was over. He turned to Brock, who was rubbing his throbbing temple as he picked himself up.

“Ash…why did you do that?”

“Brock,” the young trainer deadpanned, “I may not have much experience or knowledge when it comes to dating or courting, but I do know that one should never rush at a female and profess their undying love like some kind of creep. Not to mention it is extremely cringeworthy and I got second-hand embarrassment just by watching you.”

The Gym leader once again hit the ground, groaning pitifully.

Ash sighed, “Enough with the theatrics, let’s get to Cerulean.”

He was about to pick up his travelling companion by the scruff of his vest, when one of the Clefairy that was captured earlier approached him.

“Cle! Clefa, cle!”

“What is it saying, Luka?”

The Riolu spent a moment communicating before providing a translation, _“She wants us to follow her. She also thanks us for rescuing her and her friend.”_

“No thanks needed, Clefairy,” Ash replied, “Lead the way.”

* * *

Back in the bowels of Mt. Moon, Ash, Brock, and their Pokémon followed the Clefairy through the maze of cave networks. This time, Brock used his flashlight to navigate, keeping it beamed on the two pink bipedal Pokémon so as to not lose them in the darkness.

Time seemed irrelevant the further they went. Ash had no idea how long it had been since they re-entered the cave with their guides. It was close to evening when the Rocket grunts were taken away. For all he knew it could be nightfall by now.

“How much further is it?” Ash wondered.

“Clef! Cle!”

_“Not much longer,”_ Luka translated.

After more walking through inclines, twists and turns, some light appeared in the distance. A few minutes through, and the group emerged from the cave network into what at first appeared to be a giant cavern carved into the mountain. But as Ash quickly discovered, it was actually an immense crater.

The Aura Guardian-in-training’s attention was immediately turned to the giant, glimmering rock that was embedded on a rocky mound in the middle of the crater. It was easily ten metres high, its craggy surface sparkling under the light of the moon like a diamond in the rough, and it was what Ash had originally come for.

He looked around. There were dozens of Clefairy surrounding the pedestal. Many had small chunks of stone in their tiny hands, levitating up to place them in a ring surrounding the giant Moon Stone. The Clefairy chattered amongst themselves, appearing to ignore the new arrivals to the crater.

“Amazing, so this is the fabled Moon Stone?” Brock asked in awe.

The two Clefairy that had guided the group to the crater went off to join their brethren. Ash took out his PokéNav Plus, switched on the camera, and began filming.

Then, all activity between the Clefairy stopped.

Ash watched with deep interest, camera still filming, as the Clefairy gathered in a circle around the mound. A few seconds of silence, followed by one loud, united cry from the Clefairy, as they threw their hands into the air. The Clefairy broke into a fluid, energetic jump, and began an entrancing dance around the mound.

No words were shared by the spectating humans and Pokémon. Ash continued filming, capturing multiple angles as the Clefairy danced under the moonlight. It was no doubt to the young trainer that this was some kind of age-old ritual, and if his hypothesis was correct, some of them were going to evolve tonight.

Indeed, as the dancing seemed to rise into a dramatic climax, the Moon Stone started to glow an ethereal white. This glowing aura shot out in beams of light, hitting five of the many dancing Clefairy. These particular Clefairy let out a joyous cry, as they were shrouded by the light. Ash’s hands trembled as he documented their evolution into their final form. At the same time, the Pokédex function scanned this new Pokémon.

**_ “Scan complete. Clefable, the Fairy Pokémon. Rarely ever seen by humans, let alone documented, Clefable are shy around strangers and will hide if approached.” _ **

**__ **

The remaining Clefairy surged towards the five evolved Clefable, squealing and chittering loudly as if congratulating their brethren on their feat of accomplishment. Ash stopped filming, and pocketed his PokéNav Plus. As much as he wanted to get closer, he took heed of the Pokédex entry, and stayed put. And besides, he already had plenty of footage that was going to keep Professor Oak busy for at least a week.

The Clefairy that had guided them to the crater returned to the group, “Cle, clefa, clef.”

Even without Luka’s translation, Ash instinctively knew what the pink bipedal Pokémon was saying, “Thank you, Clefairy, for the honour of letting us witness and document this sacred ritual. I promise that such documentation will only be used to further our understanding of your species, and that no one else will lay eyes on this footage or this sacred ground except for Professor Samuel Oak, a revered researcher respected by the people of this region. I can promise that he will keep your secrets too.”

Clefairy nodded, “Cle! Clef, cle.”

Luka translated, _“She accepts, and she will guide us to Route 4 to continue our journey.”_

Ash smiled, “Thank you so much, Clefairy. You have our gratitude.”

“Clefa!”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When university gets too much, there isn't much time I can allocate towards writing. Updates may or may not become more sporadic, but we'll see.
> 
> Also, that orange bat Ash pulled out to whack Brock across the head is inspired by the cursed Wiffleball bat by OasisLake76, and the subject of several headcanons I have sent to her Tumblr blog, Alolan Rain.
> 
> Anyway, the usual protocol stands. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take everyone, and stay healthy.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	8. Kanto 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash challenges the Cerulean City Gym for the Cascade Badge, and being the nephew of the reigning Champion of Kanto and Johto does have its perks.

Ash and company took another four days to clear Route 4 once Clefairy had seen them off. At the other end, stood Cerulean City, home to the Water-type Gym.

Along the way, Ash battled several more trainers and earned a sizeable sum of money from his victories. Training was continued and increased, as Ash discussed with his team halfway through Route 4.

“Let’s be honest here,” said the young trainer, “None of you have type advantages over Water-type Pokémon, which means that we have to focus on moves that deal normal damage.” Ash turned to Arion, “Your strongest move is still Iron Tail, but we need to improve your Quick Attack and Swift moves to gain an extra leverage. Luka, we’ll continue to train all your moves as we have done so far. Adira, we’ll train your Flying-type moves as usual, but we’ll also pick up your Bug-type moves as well. Zarya…” he picked up the newest member of his team, “I will train you too, but you won’t be taking part in this Gym battle. Your moves will have little effect on Water-type Pokémon. You will get your chance soon, okay?”

The tadpole Pokémon looked a little disappointed, but eventually nodded, “Poli.”

“Thank you for understanding, Zarya. You’re just as important to my team as everyone else, never forget that.”

The Poliwag appeared mollified, “Poli!”

Ash turned to the rest, “Alright, let’s get to it!”

The four days along Route 4 were gruelling for both Ash and his Pokémon. Ash had discarded his cape and top during his training sessions, unknowingly giving Brock a show each and every time. He even got Brock to accidentally burn dinner once, although he never realised it was _him_ that got the Gym leader distracted from his cooking.

By the time the group had reached the outskirts of Cerulean City, Ash was slightly more confident that his team were ready to take on the Water-type Gym. He hoped that their rigorous training would pay off.

* * *

Cerulean City was much bigger than Pewter City, and seemed much more colourful at the same time.

While Pewter was carved from rock and many of the buildings had taken on a uniform, rock-like appearance, Cerulean seemed much more…alive, for the lack of a better word. The buildings came in all shapes, sizes and colours, and one could really tell that Cerulean went all out on the water theme. Despite not being close to the coastline, it was as if the city floated on a man-made lake. Canals ran through the city, all connected to a moat that encircled the city. Gondolas and boats swam through the canals in reminiscence of Alto Mare, modern-designed fountains danced on every square and street corner, and right at the northern end of Cerulean, stood the Gym.

Ash had to admit that even the Cerulean Gym was far more impressive than the Pewter Gym. It was easily five times bigger, and had a more modern look to it. Surrounded by a small moat, the building was topped with a glass pyramid that shimmered under the afternoon sun.

“Well, this is it,” Ash remarked.

“You ready for this?” Brock asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the younger trainer replied, nodding to both Luka and Arion.

Stepping inside, the atrium of the Gym was packed with people. For a moment, Ash was amazed that there were so many trainers, but on closer inspection found that a majority of the people gathered appeared to be families or tourists. Ash let out a sigh when a good number of them turned and gawked at him and especially Luka. Composing himself, Ash headed for the front desk, where a receptionist was just seeing off a family of three.

“Welcome to the Cerulean City Gym!” the young woman smiled brightly, “How may I-”

Ash held back the second sigh as the receptionist trailed off, her eyes widening as she recognised him, no doubt from one of those many news articles about his unexpected encounter with Ho-Oh.

“Miss,” Ash spoke in a no-nonsense tone, “I’m here to challenge the Gym for the Cascade Badge. I would appreciate it if you can help me immediately.”

That snapped the receptionist back to normal, “Ah! Right, just a second.”

She typed away at a computer for a moment, “My apologies, Mr. Ketchum, the Sensational Sisters are performing back-to-back shows until four this afternoon. Perhaps you would like to visit the aquarium to pass the time? Or, there is a show in ten minutes, and we still have seats available, would you like to purchase tickets for the show?”

Ash was about to decline the tickets when Brock rushed up to counter with a comically-goofy look, “One ticket for me, please!”

“That will be fifty Pokédollars.”

Brock immediately paid, and the receptionist printed out a ticket. The Gym leader took it, and went off towards the arena based on her directions. Ash watched his companion go with a slightly exasperated look, before returning to the receptionist, “Miss, which way is the aquarium?”

“Down that entranceway, Mr. Ketchum.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

Touted as the largest aquarium in the entire region, Ash spent the next two and a half hours wandering around, watching the many different marine Pokémon who made the aquarium their home with languid interest. Arion looked around curiously, having never seen such an environment before, as did Zarya when Ash released her from her Pokéball. Adira followed Ash in comfortable silence, not as interested as her younger teammates.

Ash met up with Brock at a small café in the atrium at half past three. Judging from the glazed over eyes and goofy smile, the Gym leader had indeed enjoyed the show by the Sensational Sisters. As he sipped on an iced tea, Ash decided to do a little bit of research on who these Sensational Sisters were.

Apparently, there was a lot of material about the trio, also known as Daisy, Violet and Lily Waterflower. Their shows were among the most highly-reviewed performances in the region, and they certainly had a large fanbase (mostly guys, as Ash found out, so no surprises there). But the most interesting (and annoying, in Ash’s opinion) aspect about the sisters was that Cerulean Gym was also touted as the easiest Gym in the entire region. Trainers have regularly bragged about having the Cascade Badge simply handed over to them by the Sisters without even a battle.

Ash frowned, he did not spend days training with his team only to have the badge given to him without effort! If Adira was reading this now, Ash knew she would be on her way to either disembowel or decapitate the three sisters with her scythes.

His annoyance grew the longer he continued to think. Weren’t the Sensational Sisters supposed to be Gym leaders? Does giving the Cascade Badge away for free without a proper sanctioned battle counts as shirking their duties?

Despite the open secret, Ash didn’t blame his uncle for not noticing. No doubt that being the Champion of two regions often meant that Lance was drowning in work. One Gym not performing up-to-par was not likely to make itself known amidst the dozens of other greater problems that needed addressing.

Still, his uncle should at least be made aware of the situation.

At that moment, Ash made a mental note to himself to write an email to his uncle later that night.

“Mr. Ketchum?”

Ash snapped out of his thoughts. The receptionist from earlier had approached their table. Brock had returned to his default expression at her arrival.

“The Sisters will see you now.”

“Thank you,” Ash stood up, “Can you tell me where to meet them?”

“I’ll bring you to them.”

“Much appreciated.”

* * *

“So, like, this is the famous Ash Ketchum?”

Ash hid the grimace behind his blank, composed look. Three gorgeous women stood before him, dressed in extremely-revealing swimsuits and jackets. While Brock’s brain was literally turning to goo as he stared unabashedly at their…assets while drooling from his goofy smile like an idiot, Ash felt distinctively uncomfortable with how they presented themselves as individuals.

Just one look and the first words spoken from each sister was enough for Ash to determine them to be superficial airheads who probably never took things seriously before. Well…except for their performances, perhaps. But Ash could plainly see why other trainers deemed this gym to be the easiest to earn the badge from. These Gym “leaders”, if he had to call them that, don’t even take battling seriously!

He was definitely writing that email to his uncle tonight.

“I thought he would be, like, taller or something?” Daisy remarked.

And one more thing, those nasal voices were really starting to irritate him.

“Yes, I am Ash Ketchum,” the young trainer kept his tone evenly polite, “and I challenge you three to a battle for the Cascade Badge!”

A moment of silence followed, save for the dripping of Brock’s drool.

“Well, you see…” Violet spoke, “We don't feel, like, battling anymore?”

Ash’s eyebrows furrowed the slightest bit. He had expected this, but to actually experience it for himself was nerve-grating.

“We were, like, totally destroyed three times in a row by trainers when we first started out,” Lily continued.

A tick mark appeared over Ash’s head.

“It was, like, so bad that we had to constantly rush our Pokémon to the Pokémon Centre,” Daisy added.

A second tick mark appeared over Ash’s head, his fists beginning to clench.

“We then figured that it was, like, too much hard work,” Violet finished, “So we decided to quit battling and focus on our performances! Were you there this afternoon?”

“No, I wasn’t,” Ash gritted out, his temper rising as a third tick mark appeared over his head.

_“Ash, calm down,”_ Luka quickly intervened, _“Your Aura is beginning to act up again.”_

“Look, we’re, like, totally exhausted from our back-to-back performances today,” Daisy said, “And you’re a trainer who’s going to take on the Indigo League. Why don’t you, like, take a break or something? Here, take this with you.”

The blonde reached into her jacket pocket, and pulled a water-droplet shaped badge, completely oblivious to the fact that Ash’s body was beginning to glow the signature Aura-blue light.

“Okay, this has got to fucking stop!”

The arrival of an unfamiliar voice got everyone’s attention, including Brock, who was snapped out of his lecherous ogling. Up on the spectator stands, stood a redheaded girl with a short side ponytail, glaring down at the three sisters. Dressed in a yellow crop-top, short-length denims secured by red suspenders, this new arrival leapt off the stands, did a somersault in the air, and landed on the ground before the women and Ash.

“If you three fuckers are going to pussy out, then I will battle him!”

‘Huh…she certainly has a foul mouth,’ Ash inwardly remarked.

“Who are you?” asked Brock.

The redheaded girl crossed her arms, “I am Misty Waterflower, Cerulean City Gym leader and the fourth Sensational Sister!”

Ash raised a curious eyebrow. In all the material he had read thus far, there were only three Sensational Sisters. Who was this Misty girl?

In a weird (and mocking) way, Violet answered Ash’s question for him, “You mean the Three Sensational Sisters and the Runt.”

Misty rounded on the blue-haired performer, “Shut the fuck up! We are biologically related!”

“But you’re not as pretty as us,” Lily scoffed, “And you don’t have the body for it!”

“Not to mention your dirty mouth,” Daisy clicked her tongue.

Ash, Luka and Arion sweatdropped as a vicious (noticeably one-sided on Misty’s part), petty argument broke out between the four sisters. Brock was torn between watching the drama and ogling the three older women. After five minutes of bickering, Ash decided some intervention was needed.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” he spoke authoritatively, “First off, you’re all beautiful. Second off, I need to ask you a question, Misty.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you a Gym leader under the Indigo League?”

“Officially, yes.”

“Good enough for me,” Ash nodded, “Then we can have the battle instead of having to deal with these three empty-headed bitches.”

All three older women gasped, Violet finding her voice first, “Wha- How dare you?! Just who do you think you are to call us empty-headed?!”

“A five-year-old can easily share the sentiment after some observation,” Ash replied immediately, before turning to Misty, “Where are the Gym battles held?”

* * *

“We will commence with a two-versus-two battle between challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gym Leader Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City! Only the challenger may substitute their Pokémon as they see fit!” the referee announced on her podium.

The field was actually a large Olympic-sized swimming pool, with two platforms at either ends, connected by a long track. On his platform, Ash unclasped his cape, and dramatically threw it behind him, ignoring the stares from Brock and the excited whispers from the older Sensational Sisters at his built physique.

Misty readied herself, and unhooked a Pokéball from her belt, “Go Staryu!”

A five-pointed starfish-like Pokémon with a golden core embedded with a red stone burst from the ball. Ash took out his PokéNav Plus and scanned his opponent.

**_ “Scan completed. Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon. An enigmatic Pokémon that can effortlessly regenerate any appendage it loses in battle.” _ **

“Adira, do your best!”

Ash released his Scyther, who took on a battle pose with her scythes crossed menacingly. With his sharp eyes, Ash noticed that Misty flinched at the sight of his partner. It didn’t take more than that to discern that the redhead had a fear of Bug-type Pokémon. But to Misty’s credit, she forced herself into concentration, something Ash respected and admired.

“Staryu, use Confuse Ray!”

“Get out of the way, and use Air Slash!”

Adira fluttered her wings and leapt up, just as an swirling aura of bright colours shot through where she had been only seconds before. She sliced her wings in quick succession, sending blades of air that all hit Staryu, knocking it back a few feet.

“Use Fury Cutter!”

Adira was able to get two swings of her scythes in before Misty commanded, “Protect! Then use Water Gun!”

A powerful blast of water burst from Staryu. Thanks to her honed reflexes, the Scyther was able to dodge with ease.

“Good job Adira! Now use Aerial Ace!”

The Scyther surged forward, far faster than the Staryu could dodge in time. Then came the collision, and the five-pointed starfish Pokémon was sent flying past the pool into the wall behind Misty. There it stuck for a minute, before peeling off and toppling to the floor. Its stone was cracked, and looked desaturated.

“Staryu is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!”

“You did great Adira!” Ash called out from his platform, “Are you up for another battle?”

“Scy!” Adira nodded resolutely.

Misty returned her unconscious Staryu, “Not bad, but are you able to take on the next level? Go, Starmie!”

This time, a purple ten-pointed starfish-like Pokémon emerged. It shared a core just like Staryu, but Starmie’s core was gilded and eight-pointed, with a sparkling ruby gem encrusted in the middle. Once again, Ash took out his PokéNav Plus and scanned Adira’s new opponent.

**_ “Scan completed. Starmie, the Mysterious Starfish Pokémon. Its central core glows with the seven colours of the rainbow. Some people value the core as a gem.” _ **

Ignoring the potentially exploitative titbit at the end, Ash kept away his PokéNav Plus and prepared for the second round.

“Starmie, use Psybeam!”

A swirling ray of pink and purple lights shot towards Adira. The Scyther leapt up to dodge it. She remembered from her training with Ash that Psybeam had a one in ten chance of causing confusion on the target Pokémon. Another ray shot towards her, forcing her to flying out of the way.

“Adira, use Fury Cutter!”

The Scyther surged forward, swinging her scythes at the Starmie. This time, four hits managed to land. Ash noted that more damage appeared to be inflicted this time round too.

Misty winced, “Starmie, use Psychic!”

The entire battlefield became distorted with a telekinetic energy. Now it was Ash’s turn to wince, the beginnings of a migraine forming at the back of his head. Adira was suffering a similar predicament, clutching her head as she cried in annoyance and pain.

“Adira! Try to endure it, then finish it with Bug Buzz!”

Despite the jarring environment, the Scyther heard her trainer loud and clear. Taking her scythes off her head, Adira let out a loud battle cry, and began vibrating her wings wildly, creating a fast-moving sound wave of noise that overwhelmed the telekinetic energy and disorientated the Starmie. With the high frequency, the internal processes within the starfish Pokémon overloaded. It’s jewel cracked, and it topped backwards, twitching occasionally.

The referee spent five seconds assessing whether Starmie could pick itself. When it didn’t, she made her decision.

“Starmie is incapacitated and unable to continue battling! Challenger Ash Ketchum has claimed victory!”

“Yeah! You’re awesome, Adira!” Ash punched a joyful fist into the air.

The Scyther cried in euphoria, zipping back to her trainer and wrapping her arms around him in a hug, being careful not to accidentally cut him with her scythes.

Misty recalled her Starmie, and crossed the track towards Ash, “That was a great battle, you’re really an experienced trainer.”

“Thanks a lot, Misty,” Ash nodded, patting Adira’s head, “We just did our best.”

“And as proof of that, I present you the Cascade Badge. You earned it, Ash.”

The redhead Gym leader produced the water droplet-shaped badge, which Ash accepted with a grin. The prize money was also wired to Ash’s account.

Then, just like that, the three Sensational Sisters had to go spoil the moment.

“How pathetic, runt,” Violet sneered, “Your first Gym battle and you get curb-stomped. This, like, shows that you can’t even hold your own.”

Ash could immediately see Misty’s temper rise, but behind the fury, he could also see the underlying hurt from such a put-down. And given the redhead’s body language, this wasn’t the first time she had been demeaned by her older sisters.

Barely keeping his own rising temper in check, Ash intervened.

“At least Misty is capable of battling in the first place,” he replied caustically, “You three don’t even have the brain capacity to properly lead your Pokémon in a sanctioned battle.”

The sisters reeled back as if they had been slapped, “What?! Like, how fucking dare you-” Lily screeched.

“Have you ever done a Gym battle in your life?” Ash continued, “Most likely not, considering how you three have spent all this while performing your ballets and completely disregarding your duties as Gym leaders! How has the Indigo League not heard of this yet I don’t know, but if you don’t shape up soon, I can predict that you three will be out of a job before you can count all the non-existent brain cells that you possess in those empty caverns that you call your heads!”

Despite the further insults, Daisy picked up on something that could be challenged, “And who will believe someone like you?”

Ash’s honey-whiskey irises flashed, “That isn’t my secret to tell, but all I can say is, that ties with the right people can be a boon to situations like this.”

Without a further word, Ash recalled Adira, and went to pick up his cape. Clasping it on, he turned to the stands, “Brock! Let’s go!”

* * *

“Was all that vitriol really necessary?” Brock asked, not with accusation, but with curiosity.

“I’m actually doing other trainers a favour,” Ash replied as he scanned the shelves for potions, “They’ll get complacent if the badge is just handed over to them without a sanctioned battle. I heard the Vermilion City Gym leader, Lt. Surge, who traditionally is the third Gym leader trainers face on their challenge, is notoriously difficult to beat. Given past statistics, about half of trainers who sign up for the Indigo League drop out of the Gym challenge altogether after being destroyed by Lt. Surge. Either the Sensational Sisters shape up their game or they’ll be replaced.”

“Speaking of which, what do you mean by when you said that you had ties with the right people?”

“Like I said, it’s not my secret to tell,” Ash shrugged, taking a six-pack of super potions and putting it into his trolley, “But, since you are my friend, I will say that my uncle is someone you shouldn’t mess with.”

Brock knew he wouldn’t be getting much more out of his travelling companion, so he just took it at face-value and went to grab a few more ingredients for Pokémon food. The pair had just finished paying when someone else came into the PokéMart.

“There you are!”

Ash turned to the doorway, “Misty? What’s the matter?”

“I was just looking for you,” the redheaded Gym leader stepped inside, “Are you two in a rush?”

Ash and Brock shared a look, “No, not exactly. How may we help you?”

“There’s something I want to talk about. Maybe we can chat at the café down the street from here?”

* * *

“So what’s on your mind, Misty?” asked Ash as the waiter served his iced caramel latte.

“I never got to thank you for standing up for me back the Gym,” Misty replied, “My sisters are not exactly the best people to get to know.”

“They sure are hot though…” Brock quietly gushed.

Misty sent an annoyed look towards her fellow Gym leader, though that quickly became nonplussed when Ash took out his orange bat and whacked Brock across the head, knocking him to the floor.

“No thanks needed,” Ash sat back down, kept the bat away, and took a sip of his latte, “It is what needed to be said.”

Misty stared at the fallen Brock for a moment, before returning to the conversation, “Is it true, though? That you know someone who could do something about my sisters?”

“I can’t reveal to you who they are, but yes I do know someone who has leverage when it comes to Gym leaders,” Ash replied, “He’s my uncle on my Mum’s side, actually.”

“Your uncle knows Champion Lance?” Misty was surprised, “That’s so cool! Then, could I trouble you to notify him about what’s happening here in Cerulean?”

“You don’t need to ask,” Ash reassured, “I’ll pass on the message.”

‘If only you knew how close you are to the truth,’ the raven-haired trainer thought to himself, taking another sip of his latte.

* * *

That evening, Lance sat in his office going through some final bits of paperwork before he retired for the night. It had been a long day for him - meetings with the Elite Four, and back-and-forth communications with Vermilion Cruises who operates the S.S. Anne about organising a Pokémon tournament on-board when the luxury cruise liner docked at Vermilion Harbour before its annual voyage around the world.

Sending off the most recent email, Lance sat back and sighed loudly. He was on the verge of nodding off, but he still awaited an important email from Champion Steven Stone about the relaxation of travel visas between Kanto and Hoenn.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Lance heard the ping of an incoming email notification. Thinking it was from Steven, the Champion of Kanto and Johto opened it. To his surprise, it was actually from his nephew.

He began to read the email.

_Hi Uncle Lance,_

_I just earned the Cascade Badge from Cerulean City. However, there is something that I think you need to be made aware of._

_The Cerulean Gym leaders, Violet, Daisy and Lily Waterflower, otherwise known as the Sensational Sisters, are shirking their duties. Instead of holding battles with trainers, they are instead performing their water ballet shows on a daily basis. For any trainer wishing to battle them, the sisters simply give them Cascade Badge straight away so that their performances are not disrupted._

_For the record, I got my badge through a legitimate battle. I went against the unknown fourth Gym leader, Misty Waterflower, and won._

_However, as Misty explained to me after our battle, her older sisters have been doing this for years now. They have only battled three times with trainers during their tenure, before deciding it was too much work and began shirking their duties. Misty also revealed that the monthly stipends from the League are being used to fund their ballet shows instead of the general upkeep of the Gym. Maintenance had to be funded completely from Misty’s personal savings, with her sisters not even sparing a cent._

_I am honestly surprised that nothing has been done about it, especially since you became Champion. The fact that the Sensational Sisters are giving away the Cascade Badge for free is literally an open secret if you do a quick search on the Internet. If you don’t believe me, have a look yourself._

_I hope something can be done quickly. Misty has suffered far too long on her own. Her parents are MIA, and her sisters show no love or care for her wellbeing. The least that we can do is to help her._

_Let me know what you plan to do with this information._

_Your loving nephew,_

_Ash_

The Champion’s eyes darkened. If what his nephew said was true, then the wrath of the Indigo League would soon be coming down hard upon the Sensational Sisters. No Gym leader was going to shirk their duties and get away with it.

Not on his watch.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally dislike Misty's older sisters because of their superficial attitudes and their terrible running of the Cerulean Gym. There is a level of being an airhead that goes beyond what is tolerable in my opinion, the three eldest Waterflowers have passed that level long before I returned to the Pokémon fandom.
> 
> On a completely unrelated note, I should start a counter of how many times Ash has used the bat on Brock throughout this story. So far, we are at 2 times.
> 
> That's it from me for now. As usual, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, everyone.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	9. Kanto 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see the aftermath of Ash's email to his uncle, and Damian is the absolute worst.

“Well, you did it, Ash.”

“Hm? Whatever do you mean, Brock?”

“Whatever you told your uncle, Ash, has caused the League to rain hell upon Cerulean.”

Brock passed Ash his smartphone, which had a news report published several hours prior.

**_Indigo League Strips Sensational Sisters of Gym Leaderships!_** the headline read, followed by the article. After conducting a surprise inspection and thorough interviews, League officials had determined that the three sisters had been misusing League stipends to fund their ballet shows, and shirking their duties as Gym leaders. Misty revealed a lot of damning evidence during her interview, as the article read, and it was more than enough for Champion Lance to strip her older sisters of their title and force them to vacate the Cerulean Gym. As the article concluded, the three Sisters were unavailable for comment.

“Serves them right,” Ash said, handing back the phone.

“I wonder if they are going to be able to continue their ballet performances now…” Brock wondered, lost in thought.

“I’m surprised that I am saying this,” Ash replied, “but I think they wouldn’t have much trouble finding a new sponsor. Even though they did shirk their duties as Gym leaders, they are still wildly popular with the Cerulean locals, though I think their looks might have something to do with their popularity, if I want to be brutally honest. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a queue of people wanting to fund their performances by the end of today.”

Brock’s expression immediately became that of love-struck goofiness, “Heh…that means I get to watch their performances again ~”

_WHAM_

“One of these days, I have got to teach him to drop that perverted attitude of his…” Ash muttered to himself, keeping away his bat. Grabbing his unconscious companion by the scruff of his shirt, Ash continued down the road, dragging Brock along with him.

* * *

Even though the group could have easily gotten to Vermilion City if they had taken Routes 5 and 6 while cutting through Saffron City, Ash and his team decided to take a longer way so that they could train. Everyone knew that Lt. Surge was going to be their first true test on whether they could take on the Indigo League, and they worked their asses off. Even Zarya and Arion, who either were at a type disadvantage or had moves which would not work well against Electric-types, refused to slack off and worked just as hard.

However, it was during one these training sessions that things took an unexpected turn.

Ash and the group were about ten miles outside of Gardenia Town, and hard at work training their bodies and attacks, when Luka sensed a disturbance.

_“Ash, I sense a Pokémon nearby.”_

“Do you know what it is?”

_“No, it’s a bit out of range, but-”_

Luka suddenly gasped. Without a further word, he took off down the dirt road.

“Wait! Luka, where are you going?!”

Ash, his Pokémon and Brock ran off in pursuit of the young Riolu. After five minutes, they caught up, only to lay eyes on a horrifying sight.

Several wild Pidgeotto were attacking a small bipedal, reptilian Pokémon that had orange scales and a small flame burning at the tip of its tail. Ash immediately recognised it as a Charmander, one of the three Kanto starter Pokémon distributed by Professor Oak. Why it was lying on top of a tree stump in the wild, Ash didn’t know. Wild Charmander have been extinct in Kanto for hundreds of years. It was only due to the merciful domestication and breeding by people that kept the Charmander from completely disappearing altogether.

Brushing the history lesson aside, Ash got down to business.

“Luka, use Aura Sphere! Adira, Fury Cutter! Arion, Iron Tail! And Zarya, use Water Gun!”

What followed was a medley of attacks, screeches and cries. Ash’s team dove headfirst into battle, decimating the wild Pidgeotto in seconds. Those who could escape fled into the skies, while the majority fell to the ground, savagely wounded and no longer a threat to the Charmander.

Once the carnage was over, Ash hurried over to the orange reptilian Pokémon, who was still cowering and trembling from the whole ordeal.

“Luka, come to me. I need your help.”

The Riolu leapt onto the tree stump, and gently pressed his paw onto Charmander’s body, littered with cuts, bruises, and puncture wounds. Luka channelled some of his Aura to calm the Charmander down, while Ash assessed its injuries.

“Brock! Help me take out my first-aid pouch!”

His travelling companion rummaged through his bag for a moment, before tossing the pouch to Ash. The raven-haired trainer fished out a bottle of potion, antiseptic, and a roll of gauze.

“Charmander, we’re not going to hurt you, alright?” Ash spoke gently, “I’m going to treat your wounds. It will sting a bit, but I promise that it will get better. Okay?”

“Char…”

With Luka holding it steady, Ash applied the potion. Charmander squealed from the sting, but another bout of Aura from the Riolu helped it through. As it’s injuries began to cauterise and heal, Ash applied antiseptic as an extra layer of safety before wrapping the gauze around the wounds.

“Charmander, will you let me carry you? We need to get you to the Pokémon Centre immediately.”

To his surprise, the orange reptilian shook its head vehemently, “Char! Charman! Char!”

“Luka, what’s it saying?”

_“He’s waiting for his trainer. His trainer told him to wait at that tree stump until he came back.”_

‘Ah, so he has a trainer,’ Ash thought to himself, “Charmander, I understand, but your health and wellbeing takes priority here. Listen, we’re not far from Gardenia Town. When we get to the Pokémon Centre, I’m sure Nurse Joy has a way that we can contact your trainer, okay? They can pick you up from there.”

Charmander looked unsure for a moment, but eventually nodded.

Ash recalled Adira and Zarya, picked up Charmander, and turned to Brock, “C’mon, let’s go!”

* * *

The group finally arrived at Gardenia Town about an hour later, and not a moment too soon. While it had been sunny when they found Charmander, the clouds had gathered and turned ominous. They had just made it into the Pokémon Centre when it began to rain.

Pausing to catch his breath, Ash headed over to the front counter.

“Nurse Joy, I need your help.”

The Pokémon nurse took one look at Charmander, eyes widening, “Goodness! What happened here?”

“My team found this Charmander being attacked by a flock of wild Pidgeotto. I did my best to patch him up, but could you have a proper look to make sure that nothing will go wrong?”

“Right away,” Nurse Joy took the orange reptilian Pokémon, “Would you like me to heal your Pokémon too?”

“Please,” Ash nodded, handing over his Pokéballs. Luka and Arion hopped down and were led away by Chansey.

Leaving Nurse Joy to do what she did best, Ash and Brock went to go sit down at one of the sofas to wait out the treatment. It would be fifteen minutes later when Joy returned and called Ash to the counter again. Chansey wheeled up its trolley with Ash’s Pokéballs, Arion and Luka, the latter two looking as good as new.

“Here you go, Ash,” Nurse Joy smiled, “Your team is raring to go.”

“Thanks,” the young trainer nodded, but quickly noticed the absence of a orange reptilian Pokémon, “How is Charmander?”

“He will recover,” Joy replied, “He needs a night’s rest right now.”

“Thank Arceus…”, Ash sighed in relief, then remembered what he was supposed to do, “Nurse Joy, are we able to find Charmander’s trainer? When we found him, my Riolu said that Charmander was left there where we found him, and he has been waiting on that tree stump for his trainer to return for who knows how long already.”

“Yes,” the nurse nodded, “Whenever a trainer receives their starter Pokémon, or catches a wild Pokémon, they are immediately registered under the trainer’s name. I will need to check with Charmander first, but we should be able to locate his trainer in a short while.”

“I’ll wait here,” said Ash.

Nurse Joy went out back to retrieve the necessary data, returning after a few minutes. She sat down at her computer, Ash coming round behind to have a look himself. After a few seconds of searching, she pulled up a trainer profile.

Ash peeked at the name, Damian Baker-Thomas. If he had to say it, it was name that didn’t ring any bells.

Nurse Joy gasping snapped Ash out of his thoughts, “What’s the matter?”

She moved a bit to let Ash see the screen. The cursor was hovering over a bar that Charmander’s picture and basic information. But what caught Ash’s line of focus was a little line that read, Status: Released.

_“What the fuck?! Charmander was abandoned?!”_ Luka swore.

“Eev…” Arion whined.

“Who would be so heartless to abandon their starter…?” Ash was gobsmacked, too shocked to even be angry.

Nurse Joy sighed, “Unfortunately, it appears that Charmander wasn’t the first Pokémon Damian has released or abandoned,” a scroll through the profile showed just as many released Pokémon as Damian had under his belt.

“Isn’t Pokémon abandonment a crime?” Ash asked.

“On paper, it is,” Nurse Joy agreed, “But every day, Pokémon are released by their trainers. It is almost impossible to discern whether there are any cases of abandonment unless the Pokémon in question is showing signs of abuse or it is reported to Officer Jenny.”

Ash felt his heart crack a little. Arion’s ears drooped from hearing such a terrible reality. Furthermore, it was now impossible to discern whether Charmander was abused. Any injuries sustained would have healed over by now thanks to Ash and Nurse Joy’s treatment, erasing any evidence that could have otherwise made a case against Damian.

“What will happen to Charmander now?”

“Most likely, he will be released into the wild,” Nurse Joy replied bluntly.

Ash went silent for a moment, as his thoughts raced.

“Nurse Joy, can I see Charmander?”

* * *

Charmander shifted uncomfortably in the cot that Nurse Joy had placed him on after his treatment. He didn’t want to remain here for a moment longer. His trainer, Damian, could be looking for him now. He had a promise to fulfil, but he couldn’t do it if he was stuck here. He needed to get back to that tree stump.

He heard the door open, and someone step into the room. Charmander recognised him as the trainer who treated his injuries and brought him here in the first place.

Ash sat down next to the cot, “Charmander, how are you feeling?”

“Char…charman…”

_“A bit sore,”_ Luka translated, _“But he wants to return to that tree stump. His trainer might be waiting for him.”_

The temperature in the room plummeted.

“Charmander…you are not going to like this, but Damian…isn’t coming back,” Ash painfully replied, “He has abandoned you.”

The orange reptilian Pokémon was silent with shock, before denial came in.

“Char! Charman! Char!” he shook his head wildly, not believing Ash’s words for a second.

“Charmander, I’m really sorry,” Ash said, tears gathering in his eyes, “We checked Damian’s trainer profile. Your status read that you had been released by him. He’s not coming back for you.”

Charmander continued to drown in denial, until Luka wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. The denial shifted into shock, before the waterworks came at full force.

“Char! Cha! Char!!!” the orange reptilian Pokémon wailed, tears falling at an alarming rate as his entire world fell apart.

Unable to stop his own tears, Ash gently picked up Charmander and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Charmander, I’m really, really sorry. No Pokémon should ever have to experience being abandoned. But you will never be alone again. Let me be your new friend. My team and I will take care of you as if you were always a part of us from the very beginning. I know it is really hard, but we are here for you.”

The orange reptilian Pokémon did not respond immediately, and that was okay. Ash was going to be here for Charmander for as long as he needed to begin the process of moving on. And he would continue to be there for Charmander when he made his decision, whatever it be.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time a chapter has ended on a downer, but Ash's journey to greatness isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Damian is an example of the worst kind of trainer in existence, and to be honest, deserved more than being roasted and electrocuted as what happened in the original series.
> 
> As for Brock, on the other hand...well, the counter is at 3 now.
> 
> The next chapter will pick up and get more action-packed as Ash takes on the Vermilion City Gym. And this is where I will wrap up for now. As usual protocol stands, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, but any flaming will not be tolerated.
> 
> Happy reading, everyone.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	10. Kanto 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash has a new addition to his team, and he challenges Lt. Surge for the Thunder Badge in Vermilion City.

Ash ended up spending two days in Gardenia Town, waiting for Charmander to decide on what he wanted to do. The orange reptilian Pokémon eventually agreed to come with the young trainer, though it would take a week for him to even begin the process of healing and moving on. Ash also decided to withhold from giving Charmander a name until he was ready for it.

Ash did his best to help his newest team member through the difficult time. He engaged Charmander through training, quiet moments meditating by running streams, and hugging him close when it was time to sleep. (Brock unwittingly helped with the last one by unconsciously cuddling Ash every night, adding an extra level of comfort and security for the vulnerable Charmander.)

Everyone knew that it was going to be a long process before Charmander could completely air-brush Damian from his memory, if ever. But Ash was confident that with his team’s constant support, encouragement and love, one day he would be able to get the orange reptilian Pokémon to smile.

The group finally reached Vermilion City two weeks after leaving Gardenia Town. Just like Cerulean City, Vermilion had the whole water theme going on, though with noticeable differences. While Cerulean was known for its canals, fountains and colourful buildings, Vermilion was the textbook example of a thriving port city. Towering skyscrapers filled the city centre, and the port was busy with dozens of container ships and boats bringing in and ferrying out goods to be sold or traded with the world.

It was also sunset when Ash and company arrived, so after a quick deliberation, it was decided that they should rest up at the Pokémon Centre and challenge Lt. Surge the next day.

They took the bus to the Pokémon Centre, a tall modern building that stood along the coastline, providing ample views of the port and outward bay from the rooms above. As Ash’s team hadn’t done much training that day, they saw no need to be healed up by Nurse Joy. A hot dinner and a good night’s sleep ought to do the trick.

Ash got his and Brock’s room keys from Nurse Joy, just in time to see the love-struck, goofy look appear on his travelling companion’s face. Ash sighed, reaching over to take out his bat again when the doors of the Pokémon Centre burst open.

“Nurse Joy! Please help!”

It was a boy, probably no older than Ash himself. He ran straight towards the counter, cradling a Rattata that was, if Ash wanted to be very honest with himself, completely and thoroughly savaged. Its purple fur was literally smoking, charred in most places and matted with copious amounts of blood. He couldn’t get a good look at the unfortunate Pokémon, but Ash knew he wasn’t off the mark if he concluded that the Rattata was barely breathing.

Nurse Joy, for her part, took on a look of grim exasperation, as if this sort of incident was nothing new to her.

“Chansey, we have another medical emergency on our hands. Take the poor thing to the operating room immediately.”

Ash watched the Egg Pokémon load the Rattata onto a trolley and roll it off to the back. Nurse Joy told the grieving trainer to wait patiently, reassuring him that Chansey would do whatever it took to save his Pokémon. Watching the trainer walk away, head hung low, Ash turned to the nurse, “It’s Lt. Surge’s doing, isn’t it?”

The sigh was all the answer he needed, “Unfortunately. That massive brute doesn’t know when to restrain himself when battling trainers. I’ve sent complaint after complaint to him to tone down his battling, but he either ignored me or sent a short reply saying that ‘weaklings’ shouldn’t be challenging him in the first place.”

Ash hummed. While he knew Lt. Surge was no pushover, beating opponents’ Pokémon until they are half-dead didn’t seem like the most ethical way to be a Gym leader. But on the other hand…

“Nurse Joy, you’ve said he’s been doing this for a while already. Why are so many people challenging him anyway?”

“Because of that,” the nurse pointed to a poster not too far away from the counter. It had a picture of a large ocean liner with big, attractive font.

“Lt. Surge is giving away tickets to the S.S. Anne to anyone who beats him in a Gym battle. The Indigo League is organising a tournament on-board, and those who have tickets are allowed to participate. Apparently the lieutenant wants only the best to board.”

“Have you heard about the S.S. Anne, Brock?” asked Ash.

“Arguably the most luxurious cruise liner in the world,” the Gym leader replied, “It goes on year-long voyages around the globe, and tickets are notoriously expensive.” Brock took out his smartphone and opened the search function, “Here, have a look at these pictures.”

Upon seeing them, Ash whistled, “Holy shit…”

No words could describe the sheer opulence the Anne boasted. Calling it luxurious simply wasn’t giving her the proper credit. 

“I can see why trainers would want to beat Lt. Surge, but at the expense of their Pokémon?” Ash remarked.

“I don’t suppose that you’re that interested?” Nurse Joy asked curiously.

“Not particularly. Like I wouldn’t mind taking part in a tournament, but the setting is just too...grandiose and tacky for me,” Ash shrugged, “And putting one’s Pokémon through life-threatening torture just for a luxury cruise is simply unforgivable.”

“Well, if you beat Surge, you’re guaranteed to get a ticket, so why don’t you just give it a try?” Brock pointed out, “Just think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Ash thought about it for a moment, before turning to Luka and Arion, “What do you guys think?”

“Eev!”

_“Arion has no problem with it, and personally I think it would be an interesting experience to be a part of the upper class, even for a short while.”_

“Well, I guess that settles it then,” Ash decided.

* * *

One good night’s rest and hearty meals later, Ash and his team took the bus down to the Vermilion City Gym. Just like the city in the background, the Gym had a glass-windowed, modern design with a slanted roof that was lined with solar panels. Before leaving, Nurse Joy had informed the group that Lt. Surge takes challengers starting from 9:30 am. It was exactly half past nine when the group arrived at the entrance. 

“You ready for this, Ash?” asked Brock.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the younger trainer replied stoically.

Taking a single, steadying breath, Ash pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

In a noticeable contrast to its exterior, the interior of the gym appeared to resemble a warehouse, something Ash had not expected given the modern appearance. There wasn’t anything remarkable about the battlefield either. While Pewter had its rocky terrain and Cerulean had its pool, all Vermilion had to offer was a plain concrete floor. It felt almost...utilitarian-like.

But if Lt. Surge’s title was anything to go by, it was kind of expected. A military man like Surge would probably scoff at putting on a theatrical setting unlike say Brock or Misty.

Speaking of which, Ash spotted two trainers standing at the other end of the field, one female and the other male. They were dressed in tight tank-tops, military camouflage pants and sturdy boots. Both were fit and were the textbook examples of ruggedness. They also wore cocky smirks that didn’t sit well with Ash. If anything, the urge to wipe that arrogance off their faces became really tempting. 

“My name is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town!” the young trainer spoke loud and clear, with no waver in his tone, “I am here to challenge Lt. Surge for the Thunder Badge!”

A booming, grating laugh echoed across the field.

“Ha! Another baby has come to get his puny ass wiped across the floor today!”

Ash remained stonily-stoic as a literal giant of a man came into view. Towering over his two Gym trainers by at least a head, Lt. Surge had muscles that would put any seasoned bodybuilder to shame. His blond hair stood up in sharp spikes, and just like the two trainers, was the literal epitome of arrogance. 

“Cut the cockiness, lieutenant,” Ash replied acidly, “You’re not intimidating anyone.”

Surge laughed again, “Seriously? This baby trying to be all defiant and all? Think you’re some wannabe-superhero with that cape of yours?”

The two Gym trainers joined in on the laughter, though Ash remained unfazed, “I am no superhero. I have maimed and killed before. This cape is a gift from my Uncle, who I can say with confidence that he is a far stronger trainer than you can ever hope to achieve.”

Surge was silent for a second, before laughing again, “Damn! This baby sure has bravado! Let’s see whether your uncle has rubbed off any skill onto you. And since you’re still a baby, I’ll make this battle quick. We’ll have a one-on-one!”

He nodded to the female trainer, who went up to the referee’s box at one side of the field. Surge and Ash took their places, while Brock took a few steps back.

“This is an official, sanctioned one-on-one battle between Gym leader Lt. Surge and challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town! Battlers, release your Pokémon!”

Surge unhooked a Pokéball and tossed it onto the field. Out came large, bipedal rodent-like Pokémon with yellow sacs on its cheeks that crackled with electricity. Ash, on habit, took out his PokéNav Plus and scanned his opponent.

**_ “Scan complete. Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon. Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high voltage power.” _ **

Ash kept away the device. Undoing the clasp, he dramatically threw his cape to the side, just as he had always done with Gym battles so far. Brock, once again, blushed at the sight of Ash’s body, while Surge himself had a strange glint in his eyes.

“Alright, Luka, go show that motherfucker your best!”

With a loud cry, the Riolu leapt on the field, adopting a battle stance.

Surge was momentarily surprised at the unfamiliar Pokémon his Raichu was facing, but quickly resumed his cocky expression, “A baby Pokémon? Why am I not surprised. Raichu, finish it with a Thunderbolt.”

“Luka, dodge! Use Double Team, then hit it with a Force Palm!”

The Riolu jumped out of the way of a powerful thunderbolt, ran towards Raichu while phasing in and out of existence. With many copies of himself in front of it, Surge’s Raichu was momentarily disorientated, with was long enough for Luka to slam a powered paw right into his opponent’s belly. Raichu was thrown to the floor several feet away.

“Raichu, pick yourself up! Build up your electricity and use Discharge!” Surge ordered.

“Luka, be careful! This move is among Raichu’s most powerful!” Ash warned.

Luka only had a few seconds’ warning before a powerful discharge of electricity blasted out from Raichu’s cheek sacs and raced across the field in a fast-moving shockwave. The Riolu jumped high into the air, the shockwave just barely clipping his tail as it rushed past. Flinching from the electricity, Luka shook it off and rushed towards Raichu again. Without having to rely on Ash’s orders, the Riolu sliced his paw down in a Brick Break, hitting Raichu on the head and disorienting it again.

“Good job, Luka!” Ash praised.

“Damn it!” Surge swore, “Raichu, use Thunder and finish the pipsqueak!”

Ash gasped, “Luka, get out of the way!”

The Riolu did his best, but the blinding flash of the lightning temporarily blinded him. Luka cried in pain as the electricity struck. When the light cleared, Luka was on the ground, unable to move from paralysis.

“Fuck! Luka!”

Surge laughed boisterously, “Not so tough now, eh? Raichu, get rid of it with a Take Down!”

The large rodent surged towards Luka in a final move of energy. Despite the residual pain from the paralysing electricity, the young Riolu refused to be taken out just like that. With a blast of Aura, Luka burst out of his paralysed state, and rolled out of the way of the incoming Raichu.

“That’s it, Luka! Get your revenge with a Focus Blast!”

Within a span of a second, Luka channelled his mental energy and Aura into a terrifying ball of unhinged power. With a loud cry, he threw the ball straight at Raichu, who had only just recovered from missing the young Riolu in its Take Down attack. Unable to dodge in time, the ball of energy exploded upon contact with the rodent Pokémon, sending flying out of the field and crashing into a wall. The combination of the force of explosion and the high-speed impact into the wall was more than enough to knock Raichu out.

The female Gym trainer was stunned, before finding the composure to bring the battle to a close, “R-Raichu is unable to continue battling! The w-winner is Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!”

Ash gave a whoop of joy, jumping off his box and hurrying across the field to pick up Luka in victorious hug. Surge was practically catatonic, completely stunned with disbelief that he had been beaten. Hundreds of easy matches in, and he had been defeated by a trainer from a no-name town.

“I…lost…?”

Surge blinked, bowing his head. He snickered, before exploding in a bellow of laughter, loud enough to snap Ash and Luka out of their celebration. Surge strode over, and hoisted Ash and Luka up with one arm.

“You are truly something special, Ash,” the aforementioned trainer couldn’t ignore how the massive Gym leader was addressing him by name, “You’re my first loss after hundreds of battles. I guess I got too cocky there, cos’ you whipped my ass and destroyed it completely. I gotta say, keep this up and nothing will be able to stop you from taking on the League.”

Surge reached into his pocket, and pulled out a badge in the shape of a golden eight-pointed star with an octagonal orange gemstone embedded in the middle, “Here you go, Ash, you deserve it.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant,” Ash took the badge.

“And as promised, your ticket for the S.S. Anne,” Surge handed over two tickets, “I’ve got one for your travelling companion too.”

“That’s really nice of you, Lieutenant,” Ash remarked.

Surge laughed, “I’m only nice because you beat me, Ash. You are really an interesting person, and I hope I can get to know you better. You free tonight?”

Ash could only stare, “Lieutenant Surge, are you asking me out on a date?”

“Of course, if you’re up to it?”

Ash deadpanned, “Lieutenant, I am only thirteen years old.”

Surge stared at Ash, before suddenly bursting into laughter, “That’s a good one, Ash!” His laughing would continue for three seconds until he realised that Ash was still deadpanning him with no indication that he was joking, “Wait, you’re serious?”

Without saying anything, Ash took out his PokéNav Plus, set it to his trainer profile, and turned on the voice-over, **_“Trainer profile. Name: Ash Ketchum. Date of birth: 22 nd May 1997. Age: 13.”_**

…

…

…

“Well…this is awkward,” Surge slowly put Ash and Luka down, “I thought you were an eighteen-year-old who was a bit on the short side.”

“You’re not bad-looking yourself, Lieutenant,” Ash replied truthfully, “But unless you want to have your Gym leader title revoked and be sent to prison for having relations with an underage minor, I’d suggest that we keep things strictly professional as trainers. Perhaps, if I return in five years, we can talk then.”

Surge sighed, “You’re right. It’s a real shame though, you sound like a great person to get to know.”

“Well,” Ash replied diplomatically, “why don’t you take a break from battling and live a little? The world is a big place out there. Find someone you want to date, and see how things go? There’s nothing wrong with being a married Gym leader, I know there aren’t any rules against it. So think it over, yeah?”

The young trainer patted Surge’s arm, before turning around and walking back towards his box to pick up his cape. Calling for Brock, Ash gave a two-finger salute to Surge, before departing the Gym with his team in tow.

Surge would spend a moment staring after Ash, before chuckling to himself.

“Sir?” the female Gym trainer approached.

“Ash Ketchum,” Surge mused, “he is going to take this world by storm. I just know it.”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's a couple of things I want to say before we wrap things up.
> 
> Behind his cockiness, I do believe Lt. Surge has the potential to be a really great boyfriend/husband. And if Ash was older (say eighteen and above), I personally think that Ash/Surge would be a great ship. However, Ash is thirteen in this story, and as I don't want the police, FBI or Interpol after my ass, no such ship will exist in this story. Ash would only experience dating when he turns sixteen, even then with someone closer to his age.
> 
> Charmander is also a part of Ash's team now, and I am opening up the sandbox to the readers on what his name should be. Leave them in the comments if you have any, and I'll consider which is the best one. You will also be credited in the next chapter.
> 
> Anyway, that pretty much sums things up for now. As usual, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, and please, do the right thing.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	11. Kanto 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Brock board the S.S. Anne, and spend a fun-filled first day at sea. Also, Lance and Ash are the best uncle-nephew combo.

“Ash?”

“What is it, Brock?”

“Are you gay?”

Ash paused in his step, “If I am, so what?”

“Well…nothing.”

“Do you have anything against gay people, Brock?” Ash narrowed his eyes, Luka growling.

“Absolutely not!” Brock quickly refuted, “I support people no matter their sexuality!”

“Then why do you ask?”

“Well…I just saw your interactions with Lt. Surge, and I just thought…”

Ash placed a hand on his companion’s shoulder, “Listen, even if I had an infatuation or crush on Lt. Surge, I am still too young to consider dating. And for that matter, I do find you attractive, personally.”

A fierce blush exploded across Brock’s brown skin, “R-Really?”

“Of course,” Ash replied honestly, “I’m sure you will have no trouble finding a partner…when you drop that perverted, love-sick behaviour towards women and actually be respectful to their wishes.”

Brock face-faulted.

* * *

The S.S. Anne was not due to dock in Vermilion port for another two days, so Ash and Brock decided to spend that time sightseeing around the city. There was plenty to do in Vermilion, a Ferris wheel on the docks that gave impressive views of the bay and beyond, shopping districts where Ash and Brock stocked up on merchandise and supplies, not for the voyage, but rather once they returned to land. The S.S. Anne was to make a port-of-call at Lavender Town after a round trip through Kanto waters, before sailing out towards the Sevii Islands. The group planned to disembark at Lavender Town in order for Ash to continue the Gym challenge.

The two days passed quickly. In between, Ash decided on a name for his Charmander – Agni, after the Hindu Vedic fire god.. The group checked out of the Pokémon Centre (Brock tried to give a love-filled goodbye to Nurse Joy, but as expected, Ash intervened with a powerful swing to the head with his bat before things could get unbearably cringey and embarrassing) and headed down to the port. A pamphlet read that boarding for the S.S. Anne would begin at 10:30am, so the group arrived early to ensure they didn’t spend too long in the queue being processed to board.

That being said, there was already a queue at the port. The S.S. Anne stood tall and proud in the docks, the pinnacle of modern ingenuity and opulence. When boarding began, it took another fifteen minutes for Ash and Brock to get to their turn.

“Tickets, please,” said the customs officer officiating the boarding.

Ash took Brock’s ticket and presented both to the officer, who stamped them before returning them.

“Your suites are side-by-side, FC45 and FC46,” said the officer, “If you require further assistance, there are staff on-board who will guide you.”

“Thanks,” Ash nodded.

The pair were allowed to board thereafter. The reception area they entered was both sophisticated and opulently-furnished and decorated. Trainers, passengers and Pokémon alike crowded the room, engaged in lively conversation.

“We should find our suites,” said Ash.

“Right behind you,” Brock replied.

Finding an electronic directory, the two trainers and their Pokémon found the elevators after a few minutes of searching. Taking a ride up to the tenth floor, they stepped out onto a deck that appear far more luxurious than the deck they were previously on. There were also noticeably fewer people about, and virtually all of them were dressed in clothing that far exceeded Ash and Brock’s socio-economic statuses. Most ignored them, though a few gave the two passing trainers an odd look.

Finally, they found their suites.

“Alright, shall we meet out here in fifteen minutes?” Ash proposed.

“Sounds good to me,” Brock nodded.

Ash took out the key card given to him by a receptionist when checking in, and tapped it against the reader. The door unlocked, and he stepped inside.

Quite literally, no words could describe the sheer luxury and grandeur of the suite. It was at least three times the size of his own bedroom back at Pallet Town, and accommodated everything for Pokémon and human occupants. There were several beds for Pokémon, an aquarium for Water-types, various amenities such as a plasma flat-screen television and a kitchenette equipped with a refrigerator, and a door that Ash presumed led to an equally-opulent bathroom. His eye caught the flight of stairs leading up to a second-floor loft where a four-poster, king-sized bed awaited.

_“Ash, this is unbelievable,”_ Luka was amazed.

“You got that right, buddy,” the trainer replied.

Luka and Arion hopped down to explore the suite. Ash released Adira, Zarya and Agni right after.

“Okay guys, feel free to explore, but be prepared to leave in fifteen minutes.”

His team all made noises of assent. Ash decided to head up to the loft to put away his clothes and belongings.

* * *

The S.S. Anne departed on her voyage at 12 noon sharp. In the meantime, Ash, his Pokémon and Brock sat down in one of the liner’s many dining halls for lunch. Just like the accommodation, the menu listed a medley of expensive, exotic dishes that in themselves could financially bankrupt Ash’s mother. Ash would have been extremely uncomfortable eating these dishes if they weren’t provided for free to passengers.

As Brock devoured a chocolate parfait as his dessert, Ash took out a copy of the ship’s itinerary and began scanning for things to do.

“Cool, the tournament that the Vermilion Nurse Joy talked about will be held tomorrow. Registered trainers can sign up starting from 3pm this afternoon,” Ash remarked. He put down the booklet, “Are you going to sign up, Brock?”

“Nah, I’m gonna give this one a miss,” Brock shook his head, “I think I’ll do some networking around the ship.”

“Make sure that whatever ‘networking’ you pursue remains professional,” Ash replied, the added layer of danger that his companion did not fail to notice, “You will only embarrass yourself further.”

Brock swallowed, slowly returning to his parfait in an attempt to drown out his growing nervousness.

* * *

After lunch, Ash and Brock split up to enjoy the many amenities and attractions aboard the S.S. Anne. There was a game corner on one of the main decks, with pachinko and slot machines. Only licensed trainers and adults over the age of eighteen were permitted inside. Out of curiosity, Ash flashed his trainer profile to the guard standing at the door, and sat down in front of a slot machine to give it a go.

Somehow, either out of sheer good luck or pure chance, Ash repeatedly scored the jackpot in the slots, racking up thousands of gold tokens which could be traded for either actual currency or expensive items as part of the prize rack. Eventually, his winning streak drew the attention of other patrons and thereafter, the management. Suspecting a tampered machine, a technician was called down to examine the machine in question. However, he couldn’t find any signs that the machine was tampered with, and Ash was eventually allowed to keep his winnings.

Ash left an hour later, a hundred thousand Pokédollars richer, the owner of several valuable TMs, and a source of gossip that would slowly spread to the rest of the ship by the end of the day.

After signing up for the tournament due to take place the next day, Ash spent the rest of the day suntanning with Luka and Arion, or having fun in the maze of waterslides that got his adrenaline pumping. Finally, after many hours having fun, Ash and his Pokémon returned to his suite to freshen up before dinner. A respectable suit awaited him in the cupboard, the dinner was supposed to be on a level of sophistication that surpassed the afternoon meal. Everyone was expected to dress their best, Ash was no exception.

He did wonder, though, if his cape could go with the suit.

Ash decided, after a moment’s deliberation, that he would wear his cape to dinner. Although it did catch a lot of eyes as he made his way down to the dining hall, he once again paid them no mind. The dining hall accommodated all three thousand passengers at once, but with that in mind, Ash had previously contacted Brock on his whereabouts. His companion sent him a picture of the table number, and Ash requested the maître d' take him to the table where Brock awaited.

“Hey Ash! You look really striking this evening!” Brock praised.

“Thanks Brock,” Ash took his seat, the maître d' handing him a menu, “You don’t look so bad yours-”

His words died the moment he noticed something on his companion’s cheek.

“What’s the matter, Ash?”

The younger trainer narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what was up with Brock’s cheek. The skin had a faded reddish tint, and it was in the shape of a…handprint?

“Brock…what happened to your face?”

The Gym leader instinctively brushed his fingers against the affected cheek, “Well…let’s just say I got into a…disagreement with another passenger.”

“Disagreement? What do you me-” Ash cut himself off as his brain made the connection. Immediately, his confusion morphed into a deadpan, “You tried to chat up a woman, and when you persisted, she slapped you and walked away.”

Brock’s silence was more than enough for an answer.

“Well, at least I don’t have to whack you with the bat this time, given that woman already did it for me,” Ash shrugged, before returning to his menu.

Food was ordered, and conversation moved on from Brock’s embarrassing blunder to what Ash had gotten into during the afternoon.

“So that was you?” Brock was surprised, “You are so fucking lucky, you know that?”

“To be fair, I didn’t know that people were gossiping about me,” Ash shrugged.

“Dude,” Brock deadpanned, “No one walks out of a gambling corner with a hundred thousand Pokédollars and several expensive TMs and not get talked about! I have heard too many stories of layabouts who blow their life savings on these slots to even sit in front of one without getting major anxiety!”

“I guess it just boils down to sheer luck,” Ash remarked, as their food began to arrive.

At one end of the dining hall, was a raised stage. Halfway through the meal, an elegantly-dressed woman walked up, and stopped before a microphone, facing the entire hall.

“Good evening, dear passengers, I hope that everyone has had a wonderful first day on board the S.S. Anne?”

The thunderous applause and cheers spoke for themselves.

“Excellent! Now, I do not wish to interrupt your meal for too long, but we do have a special announcement to make tonight, made by a certain special someone. Put your hands together for Lorelei Kanna, Ice-type specialist and member of the Kanto Elite Four!”

The cheers shot up several levels as a dignified redheaded bespectacled woman stepped up onto the stage and took the place of the hostess. Ash had always respected Lorelei’s battling skills. All of those who won the Indigo Conference or Silver League in Johto were defeated by her, stopping their progress to challenge his uncle for the title of Champion ever since he took the throne.

“Hello, everyone,” Lorelei flashed one of her rare smiles, “we have a sizeable crowd tonight, I have to say.” More cheers. “I promise to not take up too much of your time, so let’s get down to business. Tomorrow will be an exciting day for everyone, because on the S.S. Anne and sponsored by the Indigo League, we are holding the Clubsplosion Tournament!”

The cheers threatened to blow the roof off.

“Based on the battle circuit in Unova, the Clubsplosion Tournament will be open to registered trainers on-board, which I am told is standing at a mind-boggling five hundred and twelve. So far, most have you signed up, but if you haven’t, I am told you have until 10pm tonight to register. And I suggest that you should, not only do you stand to win extraordinary prizes, which I will get to later, you will be able to meet a special individual who will present you the prizes if you get into the top four. I won’t spoil who that person is, but I can reassure you that the surprise would be so worth it.”

That sparked a babble of excited guessing among the passengers. Ash had an inkling of who might it be. He’ll have to make a call later.

Lorelei continued, “The tournament will be split into three elimination rounds, which will narrow down the number of contenders to eight. These trainers will compete in the quarterfinals, the semi-finals, and then the remaining two will compete in the Grand Final. Now, what will the top four win?”

As if on cue, a table materialised from the stage, containing four unusually-coloured Pokéballs. Ash immediately recognised them as Ultra Balls, far superior than regular Pokéballs and at least five times more expensive.

“The Indigo League has decided that the top four contenders will win a mystery Pokémon alongside prize money and various other items such as Full Restores. What they are will not be revealed until the awards ceremony, but were willingly taken from the Safari Zones of Kanto and Hoenn, with permission from Champion Steven Stone, hoping to achieve their fullest potentials with their new trainers.”

“Do you think these Pokémon are rare?” Ash wondered.

“Not surprised if they are,” Brock replied.

“…so I do hope you all would sign up for the tournament tomorrow,” Lorelei began to conclude, “Attractive prizes, invaluable experience for yourself and your Pokémon, and a roaring great time. What’s not to love and be excited about? That’s all from me, have a great evening, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

The applause and cheers thundered throughout the dining hall as Lorelei took her leave. The hostess resumed her position and began making a couple of other announcements that, to be honest, most people didn’t pay attention to.

Ash was one of them. If he hadn’t had a (mostly) controlled hold on his emotions, he would be vibrating with excitement like a child high on sugar and caffeine. It was a challenge that he had never experienced before, and absolutely looked forward to. So far, he had only battled local trainers. Of the over five hundred trainers aboard the S.S. Anne, a good number were from regions outside of Kanto. He had no idea how strong these trainers were, and it only added to the excitement.

Though first, he had a video call to make.

* * *

Fresh out of the bath and in a set of pyjamas, Ash sat on his bed with his PokéNav Plus out. He hoped that his uncle wasn’t too busy to take the call.

After a few dial tones, his uncle’s face popped up on the screen.

“Hey Uncle Lance, Ash here. Is it a bad time to call?”

_“Hey Ash!_ _”_ Lance’s face lit up, _“It’s okay, anytime for my favourite nephew! What’s up?”_

“I’m on the S.S. Anne, actually,” Ash replied, “I won the ticket from Lt. Surge. Also, I’m taking part in the Clubsplosion Tournament happening tomorrow. Lorelei made the announcement earlier during dinner. She also said something about a mystery individual who will be spectating the tournament and presenting the prizes during the awards ceremony. Any idea who it might be?”

Lance’s expression didn’t give anything away, _“Even if I did, I won’t tell you. It’s supposed to be a surprise, after all.”_

…

…

…

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Ash asked with a teasing lisp.

Lance mock-gasped, _“How did you know?! Am I really that readable?!”_

Ash grinned, “Please, if any of the Kanto Elite Four show up at some major event, you’re contractually obligated to be nearby.”

The Champion pretended to swoon, “ _Oh no! I can’t keep any more secrets from you! Like how I have over fifty character-themed booty shorts stashed in my drawers!”_

Ash raised an eyebrow, that was something he never expected, “For real, Uncle Lance?”

Lance glanced side to side, before leaning in, _“Can I trust you to keep that a secret? No one will take me seriously anymore if they knew about this.”_

Ash nodded, “You have my word,” before discreetly crossing his fingers behind his back, “Anyway, what time are you coming onboard the Anne?”

_“Around ten-ish,”_ Lance estimated, _“Why? Do you wish to personally greet your good ol’ uncle when he arrives?”_

“Of fucking course!” Ash made it extremely clear, “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“I’m so moved,” Lance cooed, “My own nephew loves me so much!”

“Of course I do,” the young trainer grinned, “Anyway, I’m about to sleep, I’ll see you soon.”

“Sleep well, Ash,” Lance waved, “I’ll contact the ship’s staff to let you up to helicopter pad tomorrow.”

“Thanks Uncle Lance, good night.”

“Good night.”

With that, the video call ended. But instead of sleeping as he had claimed he would, Ash made another video call.

“Hey Mum.”

_ “Ash! It’s good to hear from you again! Where are you now?” _

“I’m on the S.S. Anne. I won a ticket alongside my Gym badge. So I’m going to take part in a tournament onboard tomorrow, and Uncle Lance is going to spectate it and helm the awards ceremony.”

_“That’s wonderful!”_ Delia gushed, _“How is Lance doing? I haven’t seen him in quite a while already.”_

“He’s doing fine, Mum,” Ash replied, a devious grin spreading his lips, “Though, there’s something you should know…”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a few things before we wrap up for today.
> 
> Slots are notoriously difficult to score a jackpot, but I took inspiration from one of the Diamond and Pearl-inspired manga, where the main protagonist scores win after win at the Veilstone Game Corner. However, this is fiction, and has almost no bearing in real life. Please do not attempt to enter a place of gambling unless you are of age, you will just be denied entry or come under legal trouble if caught. Also, if you want to gamble, do so safely. Gambling is a potentially slippery slope into addiction. If you have any misgivings, do not go anywhere near gambling.
> 
> Onto more positive notes, this is the first time we have Lance and Ash personally interacting, and I am drowning in the 'Lance is the best uncle' pool. Of course, Ash is going to have his time poking fun at his uncle, and let's just Lance is not going to take what's happening next sitting down, if the next chapter is any indication. Oh, and the concept of Lance owning character-themed booty shorts comes from OasisLake76. Check out her stories, many are a good read!
> 
> Anyway, that is all from me for now. The usual protocol stands - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while any flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Stay safe, and take care.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	12. Kanto 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of best uncle Lance, and the first elimination round of the Clubsplosion Tournament takes place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer at the ending notes.

“Ash, please, this is a bad idea.”

“And I can assure you for the hundredth time, Brock, it’s fine.”

After breakfast, Ash dragged his travelling companion towards the helipad on the top deck. Normally, the helipad is off-limits to passengers, hence Brock’s frantic worries. He tried to pull his arm out of Ash’s grip, but let it be known that the raven-haired trainer was far stronger than he was. It quickly became apparent that he was doomed to whatever shenanigans Ash was about to get into.

He just hoped that they weren’t kicked off the ship for this.

Brock’s fears seem to come to light when they approached the door of the stairwell leading up to the helipad, a security guard blocking their path.

“Passengers are not allowed here, sirs,” the guard spoke gruffly.

Undeterred, Ash took out his PokéNav Plus, and opened his trainer profile.

“My name is Ash Ketchum.”

The guard looked at the profile, and back to Ash, “Then who is he?”, gesturing to Brock.

“He’s with me.”

The guard nodded after a moment, “Just up the stairs, Mr. Ketchum, but stay off the helipad until the helicopter has landed and the propellers have fully stopped.”

“Thank you,” Ash grinned, “C’mon Brock.”

A stupefied Brock led himself be dragged through the door and up the stairs. It was only when they stepped out into the open did Brock finally find his voice.

“W-What did you do, Ash?”

“Hm? Oh, I was allowed to come up here. And by extension, you too, since you’re my friend.”

“Wha…” Brock only grew even more confused, “And what’s this about a helicopter coming?”

“Oh, someone important is coming on board to spectate the Clubsplosion Tournament today. Remember what Lorelei said last night?”

Brock nodded, but before he could respond, there came the faint chugging of propellers.

“Is that…?” Ash squinted into the sky, “I think it’s him!”

What appeared to be a small black dot in the bright blue, cloudless sky grew larger as it approached the Anne. As it came closer, its shape turned into that of a helicopter, the spinning propellers slicing the air in a blur. The wind began to pick up as the helicopter hovered over the pad and started descending down, whipping through hair and making Ash’s cape flutter. The helicopter touched down, and the propellers began to slow their revolutions.

Once the propellers were stopped, the door was slid open, and out stepped a powerful man that Brock instantly recognised.

‘What the fuck?! It’s Champion Lance!’

Even though the Champion wasn’t wearing one of his signature capes and his usually-styled hair was down, Brock couldn’t refute that this was the most important person in all of Kanto and Johto standing on the helipad.

His shock, however, would catapult into dangerous territory with what happened next.

“Uncle Lance!” Ash called as he rushed up the steps onto the helipad.

‘Wait, what?!’ Brock’s already slackened jaw fell even lower when Lance’s face actually lit up in delight.

“Ash!”

The raven-haired trainer literally leapt into his uncle’s open arms. Brock stared, completely floored, as Lance spun his laughing nephew once in the air, before setting him down in a tight hug.

“It’s been far too long, Ash! Look at you, how much you have grown!” Lance gushed, “You’re even wearing the cape I got for you!”

“Of fucking course, Uncle Lance!” Ash smiled, “I really like it!”

“You’re the best nephew I can ever wish for! Hardly anyone appreciates the beauty of capes!”

Brock robotically got up onto the helipad, and approached the embracing duo, “Ash…you…Uncle…what?”

“Hm?” Lance looked up, “Oh! Brock Harrison, pleasure to meet you in person. I presume that you’re my nephew’s travelling companion?”

“Y-Yes, Champion Lance…”

“Drop the ‘Champion’,” Lance laughed, “Just my name will suffice. Brock, I can’t thank you enough for looking out for Ash. With everything that has happened, he’ll need a companion that can support him through his journeys!”

“Hey, don’t discount my team!” Ash pouted.

“You know I will never,” Lance pinched his nephew’s cheek, “But you gotta have some human friends too, you know!”

“Of course,” Ash readily agreed, “I’ve been the same for Brock too, especially when his hormones clouds his logical judgement.”

“Oh really?” Lance raised an eyebrow, “I see that you’re a chip of a the old block, as the saying goes. What happened to that good-for-nothing, syphilitic, crabs-and-gonorrhoea-infected father of yours?”

“He…came back, actually,” Brock admitted, “Apparently he was too ashamed to return to his family until Ash tore him a new asshole after the whole incident with that avian Pokémon.”

“Hmph, hopefully he’ll be a proper father now. Speaking of Ash…” Lance turned to his nephew, a dangerous glint in his warm eyes that went unnoticed by the raven-haired trainer.

Ash only knew something was wrong when his uncle suddenly had him in a suffocating headlock, his large fist digging into his scalp in a rough noogie.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! What are you doing?!” Ash squealed.

“You cheeky little tattle-taler,” Lance mock-growled, “Did I not trust you to keep a secret?!”

“B-But it was only Mum!”

“Fuck you, Ash! Do you know how many text messages and teasing calls I have received from that sister of mine?! She kept harping on it even when I was on the helicopter riding over!”

Brock could only watch in confusion and disbelief, as Lance stopped his noogie and instead resorted to tickling Ash relentlessly.

“Ah! Haha no! Not the tickles! Please, have mercyyyyyyy!!!!!!”

“That will teach you to properly keep secrets!”

As poor Ash devolved into a helpless mess of tears and laughter from his uncle’s iron grip and relentless fingers, Brock wasn’t sure if this was reality or some kind of lucid dream.

* * *

“Ash…”

“Yeah, Brock?” said Ash as he took a bite of his lunch.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Champion Lance was your uncle?”

Ash paused mid-chew, swallowed, and glanced about. The dining hall was rowdy with noise from conversation and the clinking of cutlery. Based on his judgement, it wasn’t likely that he would be heard.

“I didn’t want anyone knowing about my familial relations with my uncle, simply because I want to live a regular life. Can you imagine all the media attention my mother and I would get if it got out that we were related to Lance? Not to mention all sorts of brown-noses trying to curry favour with us. The last thing I want is my mother being harassed. Also, why I didn’t tell you specifically is because I don’t want your opinion about me to become coloured. I wanted you to know the regular me, not the me that is the nephew of Champion Lance Wataru.”

“I…suppose I can get behind that, and for that record, I don’t think any different about you even if you are the nephew of the reigning Champion of Kanto and Johto,” Brock replied, “I just…didn’t expect Lance to be so…”

“Normal?” Ash supplied, “C’mon Brock, just because my uncle is the Champion doesn’t mean he is some untouchable deity. He eats and shits just like any regular human being.”

“That’s a…crude way of putting things,” the Gym leader remarked.

“It drives the point better,” Ash shrugged, before returning to his meal.

* * *

Below deck, a large multi-purpose hall was refitted into the tournament arena. The hall was huge enough to accommodate four sectioned fields for battling, with plenty of space for bleachers for any spectators to watch. Psychic fields prevented interference from other battles and kept the spectators protected from any misfire from Pokémon attacks. Unlike a proper tournament like the Indigo Conference, trainers are allowed to choose from a team of six Pokémon for each of their three battles. Beyond that, the rules were standard. The trainer who knocks out all of their opponent’s Pokémon advances to the next round.

Following the battling schedule, Ash was due to battle a trainer named Brandon, who originated from Rustboro City in the Hoenn region. Ash would only get to see his opponent once the match was called to begin, and he wouldn’t know which Pokémon Brandon would use until the battling started.

He just hoped that he had some good luck at hand.

“This match is about to begin!” the referee announced, “Trainers, take your places!”

Ash stepped up into a red-coloured box. Across the field from him, Brandon took his place. Ash spent a moment scrutinising his opponent – Brandon was powerfully-built, like a UFC fighter he had seen on television, tall and had tanned skin and brown side-swept hair. If he had to make an educated guess, Ash believed Brandon was either a Fighting-type specialist, or an all-rounded generalist.

The referee did a coin-toss, and declared, “Blue trainer, release your Pokémon!”

Brandon unclipped a Pokéball from his belt, “Go Breloom!”

A bipedal, mushroom-like Pokémon that bore a few characteristics similar to that of a Kangaskhan burst out of the ball onto the field. In the ten seconds given for him to release a Pokémon, Ash made some quick deductions, ‘Mushroom, so possible a Grass-type. Alright, I know who to send out.’

“Red trainer, release your Pokémon!”

Ash unclasped his cape and threw it to the side, “Go, Adira!”

The battle-ready Scyther burst out onto the field. Ash barely caught the tiny wince from Brandon.

“Breloom, use Force Palm!”

“Adira, dodge that and use Air Slash!”

Adira flapped her wings and shot into the air, out of the way of the incoming powered impact. Slashing her scythes rapidly, blades of air rushed towards Breloom and sliced against its skin, forcing it back.

“You can do this, Breloom! Use Seed Bomb!”

“Be careful, Adira! Even with a type advantage, those things still hurt!” Ash called out, “Dodge them all, and use Acrobatics!”

Breloom fired round after round of explosive seeds that exploded just like real bombs. Adira nimbly dodged every single one of them, before surging towards her opponent in a complicated attack that almost went unseen by the watching spectators. Adira and Ash had trained this move non-stop for the longest time, this was the first attempt to see if all that practicing would work out.

Adira swung, sliced and stabbed her scythes, and kicked with her legs. Breloom was knocked back further until one final strike from the Scyther sent the mushroom Pokémon flying to the ground, unconscious.

“Breloom is unable to battle! The first round goes to the Red trainer, Ash Ketchum. Blue trainer, please release your second Pokémon.”

“You had me good there,” Brandon conceded, returning Breloom and unhooking a second Pokéball from his belt, “Medicham, go!”

A humanoid Pokémon with three bulb-like extensions on its head and appeared to have something like puffy pants on its legs burst onto the field. Again, Ash had no time to whip out his PokéNav Plus. He needed to make a fast decision to keep Adira in or switch her out.

“Adira! Are you able to still battle?”

“Scy!” she nodded in affirmative.

“My Pokémon remains!” Ash called out to the referee.

“Very well, the battle begins!”

Brandon took the first move, “Medicham, confuse that Scyther with Psychic!”

Just like back at the Cerulean Gym, the entire field was shrouded in distorting telekinetic energy. Ash bit back the first sprouts of a migraine, as did Adira.

“Quick! Use High Jump Kick!”

“Shit! Adira, get out of the way!”

It was no easy feat, while being disoriented by the telekinetic energy. Adira heard the Medicham spring up into the air, and hurtle down towards her. Pushing through the throbbing in her head, Adira took a leap of faith and hurled herself to the left. Just a literal centimetre away, Medicham crashed onto the floor with a powerful blast of force, cratering the concrete and cracking it. Adira rolled several feet away, before righting herself. Medicham was still on the floor, in pain from the missed attack.

“Adira, quick! Use Acrobatics again!”

Not wasting the chance presenting itself to her, the Scyther executed the same complicated attack, leaving Medicham no chance to fight back. Within ten seconds tops, Medicham was out cold.

“Medicham is unable to battle! The second round goes to the Blue trainer, Ash Ketchum. Red trainer, please release your final Pokémon.”

“You’ve put me into a tight spot, but I refuse to give up!” Brandon declared as he returned his fainted partner. He unhooked his final Pokéball, “Do your best, Machamp!”

‘Ah, I know this one. So this guy specialises in Fighting-types’, Ash thought to himself, ‘But Adira…”

“Adira, I’m going to return you, okay? You did well, now rest.”

The Scyther nodded, and was sucked back into her Pokéball.

“Luka, how about you take on that behemoth?”

_“It will be a worthy challenge.”_

“Alright, Luka, finish this!”

The Riolu jumped out onto the field.

“Easy job there,” Brandon smirked, “Machamp, use Seismic Toss!”

The humanoid muscle-bound Pokémon, despite its huge size, moved at lightning speed. Luka found himself being grabbed.

“Luka, quick! Aura Sphere to the face!”

Before the Machamp could throw him with enough force to cause serious disorientation, Luka pulled his Aura into his paws and fired it at his opponent’s face. The glowing ball of energy exploded, throwing Machamp back, its grip releasing from the Riolu.

Brandon started back, “I-It can use Aura Sphere?!”

“Use Low Sweep, Luka, and knock it over!”

Luka surged forward, gathering power into his legs. He delivered a sweeping, roundhouse kick that, despite his comparatively smaller size, was strong enough to knock the Machamp off its feet.

“Drain Punch, Luka!”

The Riolu leapt onto the Machamp, pulled his paw back which began to glow a bright green, and punched his opponent in the face. A sizeable portion of Machamp’s energy was sapped out, and absorbed into Luka’s body.

Brandon shouted desperately, “Machamp, pick yourself up! Use Dynamic Punch!”

Ash swore, “Fuck! Luka, get out of the way!”

Dynamic Punch was one of the most deadliest moves a Fighting-type could use on their opponent. Not only would the opponent end up confused from the hailstorm of punches, that was if they were still conscious to even feel the disorientation to begin with. However, a few factors played into the situation here. First was Machamp’s somewhat weakened state from the Drain Punch, and second, Luka’s trained reflexes that got him out of the path of his opponent’s four fists. Moving fast like a skilled ninja, Luka dodged all the incoming punches and waited for the right moment.

It came almost like a blur.

“Luka! Use Aura Sphere again!”

No sooner had Ash made the command, Luka had pooled an even greater amount of his Aura into a ball that shook with brutal energy. Throwing it, the ball promptly exploded in Machamp’s face so violently that it threw the muscular Pokémon right across the field. It hit the ground in a dead faint, and never got up again.

“Machamp is unable to battle! The winner of this round is the Red trainer, Ash Ketchum!”

The watching spectators cheered and clapped. Brandon sighed, returning his fainted Machamp. The two trainers met halfway across the field and shook hands.

“You had me good, Ash. I guess I got cocky too early, huh?”

“Take this as a learning experience, Brandon,” Ash replied, “Never underestimate your opponent’s Pokémon, especially if they are unevolved.”

“Yeah, I will. Good battle, by the way.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

After having Adira and Luka healed up by the Nurse Joy stationed onboard for the tournament, Ash would battle two more trainers over the course of an hour, both of whom he defeated with relative ease. He had one more battle before he was done for the day.

Unfortunately, it would also be his hardest yet.

“This match is about to begin!” the referee announced, “Trainers, take your places!”

This time, Ash was in the Blue box, while his opponent took the Red. His name was Riven, and he originated from Veilstone City in the Sinnoh region. Just like Brandon before him, Riven was tall and powerfully-built, the differences lying with his paler shade of skin and maroon-red hair styled upwards almost akin to a garlic bulb. And unlike Brandon, who could easily be described as friendly and approachable, Riven looked as if he was eternally sucking on a lemon and had a scowl so fierce Ash wasn’t surprised if children ran away from him screaming about a monster about to eat them.

The referee did a coin-toss, “Blue trainer will release his Pokémon first!”

‘Shit, I wouldn’t know what Pokémon Riven is going to release,’ Ash thought to himself, ‘Oh well, I hope that luck is on my side once again.’

He undid his cape clasp, and tossed it to the side, “Adira, let’s do this!”

Riven smirked, “Doesn’t matter. Gengar, go!”

Ash recognised this Pokémon right away. While Gengar were Kanto natives, they could also be found in Sinnoh and other regions too. Being a dual Ghost and Poison-type, Ash knew he had to be careful. Bug-type moves did little damage to Gengar, and this particular specimen could potentially have the Cursed Body ability, which disables moves that make physical contact with the Pokémon’s body. Adira would have to be really careful here.

“Adira! Use Air Slash!”

The Scyther rose several feet into the air, and slashed her scythes down multiple times.

“Gengar, dodge, and use Shadow Ball.”

The Gengar phased out of existence, just as the blades of air sliced through where it had been standing mere seconds before.

“Adira, watch your surroundings! Gengar can appear anywhere!”

Adira’s senses entered a heighted mode, ready to scope out her opponent. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a dark shadow forming behind her. She moved out of the way, just as a ball of dark energy shot through her previous position and exploded over the concrete field.

“Adira, use Double Team, followed by another Air Slash!”

The Scyther’s speed increased, until multiple copies of herself appeared before the Gengar, which for a split-second, confused the dual-type Ghost Pokémon. Taking that chance, Adira slashed her scythes again. A total of five air blades hit Gengar, making it grunt in pain.

“Gengar!” Riven growled, “Use Hex!”

A dark pulse of energy swirled around Gengar, before shooting towards Adira. She took the hit, and while she was shaken by the dark energy, stood strong.

“That’s it, Adira!” Ash praised, “Now use Swift and another Air Slash!”

Star-shaped bursts of energy raced out of Adira’s scythes and punched straight into Gengar’s body, followed by the third round of air blades that sliced into the ghost Pokémon’s skin.

“Gengar, you piece of shit!” Riven spat, “Use Shadow Ball, right now!”

Ash’s eyes narrowed. No one should ever call their Pokémon pieces of faeces. It only spoke wonders about how nasty and horrendous the trainer was. For a brief second, Ash wondered if Riven ever abused his Pokémon, but quickly extinguished the thought to focus on the battle.

“Adira, dodge, and use Aerobatics. Finish this battle before Gengar’s ability can take effect.”

The Scyther, understanding the risk should she get this wrong, got to work. She executed the complicated attack, making sure to not to touch Gengar’s body for too long with each move. Gengar tried to fire another Shadow Ball, but Adira sliced the ball apart with a powerful swing of her scythe. Even if some of the dark energy was absorbed into her body and sapped her strength, the Scyther continued her assault, wearing down the Ghost Pokémon until it was on its last legs.

Finally, one decisive slash of her scythe later, Gengar collapsed, unconscious.

“Gengar is unable to battle! This round goes to the Blue trainer!” the referee called.

No sooner than that, Adira fell to the ground, one leg propping her up. Her entire form glowed a dark aura, meaning Aerobatics had been disabled. Plus, she was exhausted. Fighting Riven’s Gengar was perhaps the toughest battle she had ever had to experience. She knew her limits. She could go no further.

“Return Adira, you’ve done well,” Ash said, “Now rest.”

“Red and Blue trainers, release your next Pokémon,” said the referee.

A thoroughly-irritated Riven unhooked his second Pokéball, “Roserade, you better do a good fucking job with this.”

‘Looks like a Grass-type,’ Ash mused to himself, ‘Should I let Agni have his first battle?’

“Blue trainer, you have ten seconds to release your Pokémon, or it will be counted as a forfeit,” the referee reminded.

Ash made up his mind, “Agni, prepare for your first battle.”

The Charmander burst out onto the field. In all truth, he was nervous. He had never been in a battle against another trainer’s Pokémon before, even when he was with Damian. It didn’t help that the Roserade’s trainer had begun to smirk darkly.

“A baby Pokémon? This is going to be easy.”

Agni didn’t like Roserade’s trainer. It reminded him too much of Damian. The bad memories started to creep again, but the Charmander fought back. Ash and his team had been so good to him, sharing food and comfort whenever the nightmares became too much. Agni had a family who cared for him, and he was going to show Ash that he wasn’t going to be intimidated.

“Roserade, Magical Leaf now!”

“Dodge, Agni, and use Fire Spin just like we practiced!”

The Charmander rolled out of the path of the incoming blizzard of rainbow-coloured leaves. Once it had passed, Agni spun his tail like a helicopter, and catapulted a series of spinning fireballs at the Roserade. It dodged the first two, but the remaining three fireballs hit dead on. The dual Grass and Poison-type Pokémon screeched, flailing about in an attempt to extinguish the flames licking at its bod

“You little bitch!” Riven snapped, “You’re better than this! Petal Dance now!”

‘Alright, something’s not right here,’ Ash eyed his opponent carefully, ‘Liberal use of demeaning insults? Making it use a move that causes confusion for the user after two turns? Red flags are rising.’

“Agni, use Fire Fang, and don’t let go.”

The Charmander threw himself to the floor, just as a tornado of petals raced over him. Once the danger had passed, the young fire lizard charged forward, jaw wide with fangs flickering with wild flames. As Roserade was still gearing up for its second round of Petal Dance, it had no means of defending itself from the incoming attack. Agni pounced onto his opponent, and bit down hard on its arm. The flames ignited and spread quickly. Roserade screeched and flailed about once again. Agni lost his grip and fell off, rolling a few feet before getting up again. His opponent was still engulfed in flames, completely ignoring him as it screeched in terror.

Seeing an opportunity, Agni remembered another move that he had trained with Ash. Releasing his fire, the Charmander cloaked the flames around his body, and charged towards Roserade in a Flame Charge move. The combined impact and intensity of the flames were more than enough to send Roserade flying several feet away, and crash to the floor, still smouldering from the flames and out cold.

“Roserade is unable to battle! This round goes to the Blue trainer, Ash Ketchum!”

Riven stood stock-still for a moment, before his anger erupted.

“You fucking piece of shit!”

To the horror of the spectators, Riven jumped out of his box and lunged for Agni. The poor Charmander seized up in fear. Damian’s angry face, whenever he couldn’t execute a proper move, flashed in front of his eyes. His mind was viciously assaulted with flashbacks of whenever his old trainer raised his hand on him, and he curled into himself, hoping to protect himself from the blows that was sure to come.

Nothing ever happened.

Ash was faster.

His protector fired an Aura Sphere at Riven, throwing the assaulting trainer back against the box. Agni felt himself be picked up, and held tight against his trainer’s chest.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” Ash shouted, his entire body glowing blue, “You’re so sore about losing that you resort to attacking my Pokémon?!”

Picking himself up again, Riven snarled and tried to lunge for Ash, only to be tackled to the ground by security personnel.

As Riven struggled, the referee declared, “This match is forfeited! The Red trainer, Riven Morrison, has been disqualified from the tournament. Blue trainer Ash Ketchum advances to the second round of eliminations!”

Ash paid no attention to Riven being hauled away by security, focused entirely on comforting his friend. He looked up when he heard footsteps rushing towards him – it was Brock and his uncle Lance.

“Ash, let’s get Agni out of here,” said Brock, “Do you have any other matches today?”

“No, I don’t,” Ash shook his head, “Let’s go.”

* * *

“That was completely uncalled for, what that trainer did,” Lance growled.

Poor Agni was still trembling when the trio returned to Ash’s suite. Ash did his best to soothe his friend with supportive whispers and petting. Brock pulled out a special first-aid potion that was administered to Pokémon experiencing extreme stress or shock from Ash’s backpack, and went to give it to Agni.

“His name is Riven Morrison, is there anything we can do about it?” asked Ash.

“We can have him removed from the ship,” Lance reassured, “He poses a danger to both passengers and Pokémon alike.”

“Uncle Lance, can the League or the Sinnoh authorities conduct an investigation into Riven? I think he might be abusing his Pokémon.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” the Champion replied.

Brock finished administering the potion, “Do you think Agni will be okay?”

Luka came up to the trembling Charmander, and gently placed a paw on his teammate. Channelling some Aura into Agni, he turned to the trio, _“I think Agni has been set back in his progress of recovery. He saw Damian in Riven, and traumatic flashbacks invaded his mind.”_

“Damian?” Lance tilted his head.

“Agni’s former trainer, Damian Baker-Thomas,” Ash replied, eyes growing dark, “We think that Damian physically abused Agni. He then abandoned Agni in the wild. If we hadn’t found him, Agni could have died out there.”

Lance nodded, “I’ll have the League put a monitor on this Damian fellow.”

“See that you do that, Uncle Lance. I will have that motherfucker thrown into prison if it is the last thing I do,” said Ash resolutely.

Silence followed for a few moments, saving for Ash humming a lullaby in his continued efforts to comfort his traumatised friend.

“I don’t suppose you’ll be joining us for dinner then?” Brock asked rhetorically.

“No,” Ash shook his head, “I’ll just order room service or something. Agni is going to need me for the time being.”

No further words needed to be spoken.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *casually slips in Winx Club characters because why not*
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Brandon or Riven. They belong to Iginio Straffi and Rainbow SpA.
> 
> So a few things before I wrap things up.
> 
> I figured for Brandon, he would specialise in Fighting-types primarily because of his build and skills in the Winx Club universe. As for Riven, given how toxic he was in the first season, I figured that Poison-types would suit his calibre. And I have to apologise to poor little Agni for traumatising him at the end, things cannot go smoothly for our future God of Fire because otherwise, there wouldn't be much of a plot. Hopefully, with the League keeping tabs on Damian, the motherfucker's one-way trip to justice has been made significantly shorter.
> 
> Also, it has come to my attention that my way of writing battles may or may not be up to par with what I hoped I was able to achieve. If any of you have any advice on how to write Pokémon battles better, please send them my way through the comments section. Your help will be most appreciated.
> 
> That's all from me for now. As usual, the standard protocol stands - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Best regards, and cheers.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	13. Kanto 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash enters the third and final round of eliminations, experiences a mind-opening event, and throws hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More disclaimers at the ending notes.

Ash was, understandably, in a foul mood for the rest of the day, and the day after. Poor Agni never left his trainer’s embrace, requiring Ash to sleep with the Charmander that night. It was for the best too, as Agni was plagued with nightmares that forced Ash to stay awake multiple times that night in order to comfort his friend.

When morning came, Ash was both sleep-deprived, and ready to throw hands if anyone dared cross his path. Or get liberal with the use of his bat.

Brock maintained a safe distance until he was sure that his travelling companion wasn’t going to throw him overboard or give him permanent brain damage with his bat. Lance, on the other hand, found himself the only person Ash would allow near him, though this was possibly due to the confirmation from the Champion that Riven was put on a chartered boat and taken back to the mainland, awaiting deportation back to Sinnoh.

But despite his lack of sleep and overall feeling of shittiness, Ash was determined to continue his matches that day. And surprisingly, despite all the trauma he was currently going through, Agni said (through Luka’s translation) that he would take part in any battle that Ash wanted him to take part, despite repeated reassurances from Ash that he was more than okay to take as long as he needed off battling to recover.

Eventually, Ash relented, and he hoped that he wouldn’t be faced with anymore trainers like Riven. Otherwise, he would literally throw hands. Not even his uncle would be able to stop him, for there was no way in hell would he jeopardise his friend’s mental health if anyone dared to make Agni regress even further.

* * *

As it turned out, Ash didn’t need to throw hands, bat anyone, or throw anyone overboard for that matter.

His first match against a trainer from Johto ended in his victory. Granted, he was a lot more merciless with his opponent’s Pokémon than normal, but his team had pent-up stress from the traumatic events of the previous day, and needed an outlet to release it before each of them went berserk.

The subsequent second and third matches were also victories, easy ones to be precise.

Ash’s final match of the day, against Unovan trainer Rykios Lunkim, a tall, powerfully-built dark-skinned man with short-cropped hair that was shaved on one side and highlighted red, took an unexpected turn.

The referee did a coin-toss, “Blue trainer will release his Pokémon first!”

For the second time during the tournament, Ash wouldn’t know what Pokémon Rykios was going to use. He just hoped that his luck remained firmly on his side.

Unclasping cape and tossing it to one side (as usual), Ash called, “Luka, let’s do this!”

The Riolu jumped onto the field, ready for battle.

Rykios made no visible reaction, and silently unhooked a Pokéball from his belt and released his Pokémon. What looked like a blue, tripodal creature that was made up of rocks with red crystals on its back and front appeared. Ash didn’t need much to guess this was either a Ground-type or Rock-type Pokémon. And while it was taller and bigger than Luka, Ash hoped that the type-advantage would give his starter an edge in this battle.

“Luka! Use Force Palm!”

The Riolu surged forward, paw glowing as energy built up and released with the punch.

“Boldore,” Rykios spoke for the first time, “use Iron Defence and Mud-slap.”

“Luka, dodge!”

Boldore’s surface shimmered, hardening with increased defences. It then fired a volley of mud straight towards Luka. While the Riolu was able to dodge most of it, some of the mud got into his eyes, blinding him.

“Boldore, use Rock Blast.”

“Luka! Use your Aura to dodge the rocks!”

Although blinded, Luka used his senses and Aura to scope out in the incoming rocks, jumping and dodging out of their paths whilst trying to rub the mud out of his eyes. When he could finally see again, Luka attacked the Boldore with a Brick Break. Although the earlier Iron Defence move meant that Luka was unable to deal as much damage as Brick Break would normally do, it forced Boldore to retreat in anticipation for his trainer’s next command.

The battle proved to be the longest Ash had ever experienced in his tenure as a trainer. A combination of Iron Defence moves and Boldore’s Sturdy ability meant that the fight was drawn out. It had gotten to the point that some of spectators were now either talking to one another out of boredom, or surfing through their phones in an attempt to pass the time until one of the trainers beat the other.

Another ten minutes would pass, and Ash decided that it was time to end this battle.

“Luka, create the biggest Aura Sphere you can, and fire it at the Boldore!”

Luka pooled his Aura into a ball, expanding rapidly until it was larger than the Riolu himself. With a loud cry, he threw the ball straight towards the Boldore. It exploded in a blinding flash of blue, which went it finally dimmed several seconds later, Boldore was found to be thrown out of the field from the explosion, slammed into a back wall, and unconscious.

“Boldore is unable to battle! The first round goes to the Blue trainer, Ash Ketchum! Red trainer, release your second Pokémon.”

Luka went down on one knee, exhausted. While he was no stranger to using substantial amounts of Aura during training or battles, it was always guaranteed that he would knackered out right after.

“Luka, come back, you need rest,” said Ash, which the Riolu was more than happy to oblige.

Across the field, Rykios released his second battler, a large, colourful avian Pokémon that bore some traits of a reptile. Obviously, it was a Flying-type, though Ash suspected that it was also a Rock-type too. Given his battles so far, most of his opponents were type specialists, and it seemed that Rykios was no exception.

To face this new challenger, Ash figured that a Water-type was best suited. He had one, Zarya, but she had no real battle experience yet. While he was, naturally, a little apprehensive, he pushed down the anxiety and rationalised that the Poliwag needed some experience battling, otherwise she would not grow.

Ash unhooked her Pokéball, “Zarya, do your best!”

The Poliwag burst onto the field. She looked around curiously, before spotting her opponent across the field. Immediately, she readied herself. Her trainer had told her, alongside the team, that they will be competing. This was it for her.

“Archeops, Wing Attack.”

“Zarya, dodge! And use Bubble Beam!”

The tadpole Pokémon barely dodged her opponent barrelling towards her. She released a fast-moving stream of bubbles, that when they burst onto Archeops’ exposed scales and feathers, made it recoil with a loud screech.

“Don’t mind, Archeops!” Rykios called out, “Use Dragon Breath.”

‘Ah, so this is one of the versatile Pokémon that Professor Oak mentioned before,’ Ash thought, “Zarya, do your best to dodge it! This move can cause paralysis!”

Archeops released a gust of draconic wind straight towards the tadpole Pokémon. With her spherical body, Zarya rolled out of the way, though her tail was clipped by the wind. Squealing in pain, the Poliwag shook herself to refocus.

“Use Ice Wind, Zarya!”

One of the newer moves taught from a TM, it took a while for the Poliwag to anchor the foundation. And while it wasn’t perfect, understandably because Zarya wasn’t an Ice-type Pokémon, she was still able to execute the move decently. A gust of icy wind blew towards Archeops, not only inflicting some damage, but also forming ice crystals over its body and wings, weighing it down and slowing its overall speed.

“Good job, Zarya! Now use Waterfall!”

A move this time taught from TR, Zarya had no trouble executing the attack. In a move that would have defied logic, the Poliwag’s eyes began to glow a light blue. A geyser of water burst out of the concrete field, Zarya riding up with it. With a loud cry, she directed the water to fall over onto the Archeops. With its wins and legs impeded by the ice, it was unable to get out of the way in time. The water crashed onto Archeops, and swept it back onto Rykios’ box. When the water receded into drains that automatically opened up, Archeops was unconscious, unmoving.

“Archeops is unable to battle! The second round goes to the Blue trainer, Ash Ketchum. Red trainer, release your final Pokémon!”

“You did great, Zarya!” Ash praised, “Do you think you can last for one more battle?”

“Poli!” she nodded in assent.

Rykios took out his final Pokéball, “Aggron, do your best.”

Out burst an absolute beast of a Pokémon, so large and monstrous that it caused the entire field to shake. It was bipedal, covered in metal plates that resembled armour, and had a pair of deadly-looking horns protruding from holes in its head.

Both Zarya and Ash gulped. This was not going to be an easy battle. It was abundantly clear that Aggron was the final-evolution stage, and against a first-stage Pokémon like Zarya…if Ash wanted to be pessimistic, this battle was no contest.

Nonetheless, Ash steadied himself. Even if Zarya lost this battle to this behemoth, it would be a good learning experience for her.

“Zarya, don’t be intimidated!” he called out, “Let’s get this started with another Waterfall!”

Just like before, the Poliwag’s eyes glowed light blue. From the same crater where the first geyser came from, a second one burst up from the concrete. She rode up with it, and made it crash towards the Aggron. While the impact was strong, the towering behemoth remained rather unfazed by the onslaught aside from some annoyance.

“Aggron, use Iron Head.”

Shaking off the water, Aggron hardened its steel-like head-piece, and charged towards the Poliwag at unexpected speeds.

“Zarya! Dodge and use Bubble Beam!”

Partly due to her much-smaller size, Zarya was able to get herself out of the way of the incoming behemoth, her tail just missing Aggron’s horns. Skidding to a stop, the Poliwag released a stream of bubbles that burst rapidly all over Aggron’s face. The giant Pokémon stumbled back, disorientated by the bubbles obscuring his vision.

“Aggron! Use Metal Sound, than Iron Tail!”

What followed was an ear-splitting screech that made everyone, from Ash to the referee to the spectators, cover their ears and wince from the pain. Zarya rolled around the field, unable to protect herself from the horrible sound. In doing so, she barely had time to react to the incoming swing of Aggron’s powerful, steel-hardened tail. Zarya was sent flying, crashing into Ash’s box with a loud thud.

“Zarya! Are you alright?!”

Despite the pain she was in, the Poliwag remained determined to stay conscious. Fighting against her aching body, Zarya stood back up, and readied herself for another attack.

“Keep going, you can do this!” Ash called out, “Use Hydro Pump!”

This was the first time Zarya ever pulled off a high-intensity move, and she knew there was no guarantee that it would work completely. But given Rykios’ next demand for Aggron to pull off a Heavy Slam move. Given Aggron’s far-bigger size, such a move would have knocked Zarya out immediately. So as Aggron built up its energy to deliver what was presumably the final blow, Zarya charged up her water reserves, and at the exact same moment Aggron burst forward, the Poliwag released all the water in a Hydro Pump.

While the water was not able to completely stop Aggron in its advance, it was able to slow it down and deal increasing damage the longer the behemoth was exposed to the fluid. However, Aggron wasn’t one powerful Pokémon for nothing, so even when Zarya was able to wear it down, Aggron was still able to crash into the Poliwag with considerable force. The combination of the impact, plus exhaustion from increased exertion, was more than enough to send the Poliwag flying. At the same time, Aggron succumbed to its own exhaustion. Almost within milliseconds of each other, both Pokémon crash to the floor, unconscious.

All was silent for a few moments as the referee deliberated on the final result.

“This round ends on a tie! Given the Blue trainer, Ash Ketchum’s, two victories over Red trainer, Rykios Lunkim’s zero, Ash Ketchum wins this battle by majority!”

Ash closed his eyes, and released a satisfied breath. This match was just as hard, perhaps even harder than the match against Riven. His team had done well today, though this was the first time a member was knocked out. It didn’t matter to Ash, Zarya still did good for her first battle experience. He just needed to get her to Nurse Joy so that she could be healed and revitalised.

Returning Zarya to her Pokéball, Ash looked up to be greeted by an interesting sight.

Just as Rykios returned his Aggron, a shorter, lanky young man with curly forest-green hair styled in an undercut and freckles across his admittedly-cute face jumped down from the spectator stands and rushed up to Rykios. Taking the dark-skinned trainer’s hand, this unfamiliar man made quiet conversation, eyes gleaming with concern. Rykios said something in return, before he pulled the green-haired man into a hug. Then, to Ash’s surprise, Rykios leaned down and shared a kiss with the man in his arms.

The reactions to the kiss were mixed. A good number raised their eyebrows but otherwise made no other visible reaction or response to this public display of affection. Some others had smiles on their faces or watched with serene warmth, while a few parents shielded their children’s eyes and some older passengers gasped and looked away in disgust.

Rykios and the man separated, the latter realising that Ash was watching, “Um…may I help you, Mr. Ketchum?”

Ash came back to his senses, “Oh, no, I’m good. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

“Never seen a gay couple in public before?” the man asked.

“No, actually. I’ve only seen them on TV,” Ash admitted.

“An mind-opener, isn’t it?” the man grinned, “My name is Izuku, I’m Rykios’ husband.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ash shook Izuku’s offered hand, “I hope you’re not to bummed that I beat Rykios.”

Izuku shrugged, “It’s all good.”

“I entered this tournament for the fun of it,” Rykios added, “I just wanted to give my team an experience. Winning was only a bonus.”

“I like that mindset of yours,” Ash nodded.

Rykios allowed a tiny smile at that.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking,” Ash spoke up, “What is it like being in a gay relationship?”

“No different than any other relationship,” Izuku replied, “Though Rykios honestly gives the best hugs when we sleep at night, though that may be biased on my side.”

Ash had a deeply thoughtful look, “Do you think I’ll be able to experience some form of this in the future?”

“I’m sure, Ash,” Izuku nodded, “You will find your special someone, sooner or later.”

At that precise moment, many miles away, three particular individuals, one in Dewford Town in the Hoenn region, and the other two in the cities of Hammerlocke and Wyndon in the Galar region, all sneezed at the same time.

“I look forward to that,” Ash smiled.

* * *

“Excuse me, Mr. Ketchum?”

Ash turned around at the call of his name. An older gentleman, dressed in an impeccable-looking suit and bowler hat, approached him.

“Yes? How may I help you, sir?”

The gentleman had an unusual glint in his eye, which made Ash a little bit unnerved, “I have been watching your matches so far, and I must say, young man, that your Pokémon are among the best I have ever seen!”

“Um…thanks?”

“Indeed!” the gentleman continued, “Especially, you’re Riolu, Luka, if I’m not getting its name wrong?”

“Please refer to Luka as a ‘he’,” Ash replied curtly, nerves starting to get ticked, “Pokémon have genders too, you know.”

“My apologies,” the man said, in a manner that was clearly unapologetic, “Anyways, Mr. Ketchum, I have a proposition for you.”

Luka and Ash shared a glance, the latter replying after a moment, “What is it?”

“How about we conduct a trade? Your Riolu for my-”

“No.”

“But I haven’t told you my-”

“Absolutely not,” Ash replied in a no-nonsense tone, “My partner is not for trade. Now please leave me alone, mister.”

Ash turned to move, but found his arm grabbed, “Wait, Mr. Ketchum! I’ll do anything. Riolu are extremely difficult to come by, so name your price. I’m sure we can come up with a-”

Ash’s temper went through the roof, “My partner is not for sale, you motherfucking prick!”

In front of at least a dozen people, the young trainer swung his hardest punch, striking the gentleman in the cheek and knocking him to the ground. Ignoring the gasps from the horrified onlookers, Ash grabbed the man by the neck, and slammed him into a wall, knocking his bowler hat off.

“Who gave you the fucking right to touch me?” Ash growled, his tone taking on an almost beast-like, feral quality. His grip on the man’s neck tightened until he was cutting off oxygen, “Just because you have money, you think you can have your way on things? My partner is not for sale, get this into your fucking head! And let me make this absolutely clear, mister. Approach me or my team without consent again, and I will snap your neck clean in two, and throw you into the ocean. We are far enough from the coast where no one will find your body. You will become food for Water-types. Am I absolutely fucking clear?”

The acrid smell of urine wafted through the air from between the man’s legs, making onlookers recoil back in disgust. Not wanting to get his shoes or cape dirty, Ash threw the man away to the floor. Without deigning the bastard a second glance, Ash stormed away, his entire body glowing with Aura.

* * *

Lance and Brock found Ash an hour later in his suite, meditating in a quiet corner alongside Luka and the rest of his team. Now, Lance didn’t want to disturb his nephew’s period of routine mind-cleansing, but he needed to know what happened.

“Ash, we need to talk.”

The young trainer opened his eyes, “Hi Uncle Lance, Brock.”

The Champion crossed the room and sat down next to his nephew, “Ash, what happened?”

“Some rich prick tried to buy Luka off of me,” Ash replied in no uncertain terms, “I repeatedly told him no and tried to leave the scene when he grabbed my arm. I made my displeasure abundantly clear after that.”

“Ash…violence is never the option,” Lance tried to say.

“I will have to disagree with you, uncle,” Ash closed his eyes again, “Nothing short of pain will get these disgraceful examples of human scum to learn. Words are clearly not enough. I told that man at least twice that I didn’t want his proposition, and yet he still persisted. My partner was at stake here, so I did what needed to be done to protect him. Hopefully, because other people saw what happened, no one would dare try to be funny with me or my team again.”

Silence followed for another moment, before Ash spoke again, “Uncle Lance, this conversation can easily spiral into a shouting match that I am sure none of us want to go through. Let me cleanse all the negativity from my body and mind first, and then we’ll continue talking in a more conducive state of mind, okay?”

It was both a genuine plea and a dismissal. Either way, Lance respected his nephew’s request, and herded Brock out of the suite. Ash resumed his meditation, his body glowing an ethereal blue.

* * *

The next day brought the third and final elimination round of the Clubsplosion Tournament. In a move that signified the growing stakes as the number of trainers dwindled down to about a few dozen, the number of battle rounds per match were reduced to two.

Once again, Ash had four matches today, though he knew things were starting to pick up.

The increased difficulty made itself known in each match he participated in. While he readily won his first three matches, it was the final match that proved the hardest, and ended in a way hardly anyone expected.

Ash was up against a female trainer from Unova, a pretty redhead named Bloom Davis. Not wanting to sound stereotypical or anything, but Ash believed that Bloom had a passionate flare from her body language, something he could respect as a fellow trainer.

He also briefly wondered if Bloom was also a type-specialist, just like most of the other trainers he had battled so far, or if she was going to be an exception to the rule and be more of a generalist.

Either way, he was about to find out.

As it was, Bloom was selected as the first to release her Pokémon.

“Go, Heatmor!”

A large anteater-like Pokémon burst onto the field in a great blast of fire.

‘A fire-type. Best have Zarya take on this one,’ Ash thought to himself. Unhooking Zarya’s Pokéball, he released the Poliwag onto the field. Facing her much-larger opponent, Zarya visibly flinched.

“You can do this, Zarya!”

The reassuring voice of her trainer helped soothe the Poliwag’s nerves a little.

“Heatmor, use Fire Lash!”

Ash inwardly blanched, that was a powerful move, “Zarya! Be sure to dodge that! It can lower your overall defences!”

The Poliwag rolled out of the way of the incoming crack of a whip made entirely out of fire. While her type-advantage would’ve lessened the damage inflicted from a strike, the pain from getting whipped by burning flames was an unpleasant experience no one should ever be forced to go through, even in a sanctioned battle.

Zarya would spend half a minute dodging the cracking whip of fire until Ash commanded, “Use your strongest Ice Wind possible!”

Now, it would seem counterintuitive to use an Ice-type move against a Fire-type, but when one thinks of it from a battle context, ice melts into water when exposed to fire, yet water is also the worst enemy of fire. So when Zarya dodged the latest strike of the fire whip and blasted the strongest flurry of icy wind as possible at the Heatmor, the ice settled on the fiery anteater, and in the split-second before it melted, Heatmor was slowed down. When the ice became water, Heatmor made a cry of pain as the water inflicted damage on its body.

“Quick, Zarya! Use Bubble Beam!”

Zarya puffed out her cheeks, and fired a burst of bubbles that rapidly popped all over Heatmor’s skin. As it recoiled and shrieked from the assault, Bloom called out, “Burst through with an Incinerate!”

Despite the pain it was in, Heatmor summoned up a great volley of fire and blasted it straight towards Zarya. The heat was so intense that the bubbles evaporated instantly, forcing Zarya to roll out of the path of the incoming fire lest she get nasty burns.

The battle quickly followed a certain pattern after a while. Each Pokémon would trade attacks, dodge, or get clipped by the ends of attacks. Sometimes, Zarya would get a direct hit onto Heatmor, and on more than one occasion, the fiery anteater managed to get a hit in or its moves clipped Zarya’s tail.

After about ten minutes of back-and-forth, Ash decided it was time to end things, “Zarya! Use Hydro Pump at your strongest!”

At the same time, Bloom commanded, “Heatmor, finish this with Flare Blitz!”

Zarya puffed up her cheeks, just as Heatmor cloaked itself in a surging veil of fire. The latter charged forward, just as the Poliwag released a devastating geyser of water that crashed against the fiery anteater about halfway across the field. The mix of water and super-heated fire created a cloak of steam that filled the entire battlefield. And while the water was able to penetrate the fiery veil around the Heatmor, the intense temperatures heated the water until it shot back to Zarya and made her increasingly uncomfortable.

“You can do this, Zarya!” Ash called out encouragingly, “Just a little more!”

Not wanting to let her trainer down, Zarya pushed down the increasing temperature and forced more strength into the geyser. Bit by bit, she was able to push back Heatmor with so much water that the fiery veil surrounding the anteater-like Pokémon was extinguished and the powerful geyser made contact with its skin.

From there, it was no contest.

Heatmor was blasted back, and sent tumbling to the floor, unconscious.

“Zarya! That’s enough!” Ash called out.

“Heatmor is unable to battle! Red trainer, please release your final Pokémon!”

Bloom returned her fainted Heatmor, “You are a formidable trainer. Real cool. You think you can keep up with my ace?”

Ash returned the challenging smirk, “Bring it on.”

“Alright! Go, Druddigon!”

Ash started as an absolute beast of a Dragon-type crashed onto the field, sending rumbling tremors throughout the floor. It’s deafening roar that shook the hall was more than enough to send shivers down his and Zarya’s spines. If anything, this was going to be their hardest battle yet.

‘Alright, don’t panic,’ Ash thought to himself, ‘Ice-type moves are Dragon-types’ weakness. Zarya knows Icy Wind, so it could help. But I gotta make sure that she doesn’t freeze or get hypothermia from prolonged usage.’

“Zarya! You’re still feeling a bit warm, right? Use Icy Wind quickly!”

All too happy to fulfil her trainer’s command, the Poliwag released another flurry of freezing-cold air straight towards the dragon. Its eyes widening, Druddigon tried to get out of the way. But thanks to its bigger size, the icy wind hit almost dead-on. The freezing ice accumulated over its scales, causing immense pain and as the move intended, slowed it down considerably.

“Hang in there, Druddigon!” Bloom called out, “Use Crunch!”

“Get out of the way, Zarya!”

For an immense monster like Druddigon, getting caught into those powerful, deadly jaws would have seriously done the Poliwag in. Zarya ended up in a chase where her opponent kept trying to get a bite out of her.

“Zarya! When Druddigon opens it jaws, I want you to use Hydro Pump right into the mouth!”

Heeding the command, the Poliwag waited for the right moment. When her opponent opened its maw in the latest attempt to crush her to pulp, Zarya fired Hydro Pump straight into the target. Druddigon did not expect the incoming geyser, and was knocked back by the tremendous force. A distinct crack echoed across the field. The Cave Dragon’s jaw was broken.

Ash winced, that did not sound good. Bloom mirrored the sentiment, “Druddigon, are you alright?! Do you want to withdraw?!”

Not surprisingly (at least for Ash and Bloom), Druddigon refused. Despite its jaw hanging limply and the Dragon-type no doubt in significant pain, the monstrous beast pushed through with sheer determination. Ash could understand its intentions. While he wasn’t an expert on Dragon-types, he knew that not only were they arguably the most dangerous Pokémon species on the planet, but many were among the most prideful. They will not back down from a fight, even if they were seriously injured. The only way they would get themselves out of a fight would if they were knocked unconscious or killed.

Zarya was not going to get an easy break here.

“Druddigon, use Dragon Claw!”

“Get out of the way, Zarya!”

Unfortunately, as she was still a little out of it thanks to the Hydro Pump, the Poliwag was unable to completely dodge the incoming sharp claws. Once again, her tail bore the brunt of the attack. Zarya rolled to the side, tears leaking from her eyes as the pain wracked her body.

“Hang in there! You can do this!” Ash shouted out encouragingly.

Despite the agony she was in, Zarya, just like her opponent, refused to go down. On her trainer’s command, she summoned another Hydro Pump that blocked a second incoming Dragon Claw.

It was at the same time that Bloom decided enough was enough, “Druddigon, finish this with Outrage!”

Everything seemed to slow down from there.

Outrage was arguably one of the most powerful Dragon-type moves known to science. The attack lasts between two or three strikes, each more powerful than the other. And while the user will always end up disoriented and confused after the attack is done, more often than not the poor victim would either be unconscious, or perhaps more extreme, dead from the immense power dealt with each strike.

For Zarya, still reeling from the pain in her tail and the increased exhaustion of multiple Hydro Pumps in a row, it meant that it seemed all but likely that she was about to get taken out in one fell swoop. The Poliwag could hear her trainer calling out to her, what exactly she couldn’t quite hear. Whether it was to dodge or counter with an attack of her own she didn’t know. All she could see was the incoming monster that was her opponent, ready to strike and send her flying out of the field into oblivion.

She didn’t want to give up, even with certain failure barrelling towards her. Despite her aches and pain, Zarya refused to submit to the natural instincts to protect herself from the incoming danger. If she was going to go out, she was not going down without a final goodbye.

Pooling all her strength into one final Hydro Pump, Zarya waited for the right moment where her opponent was within striking, and released all her power at once.

A blinding, blue light blasted the entire field. Druddigon skidded to a stop, recoiling back from the glare.

The watching spectators either shielded their eyes or gasped in amazement. Both Ash and Bloom watched with wide eyes and slackened jaws as Zarya went through her first round of evolution.

Her body became bigger. Her eyes grew slightly out of her head. Her lips and tail disappeared. A pair of arms with curled fists sprouted from her sides, and her legs lengthened somewhat to the point that it was noticeable.

It all happened within a span of seven seconds. The light disappeared in another flash. Where a Poliwag once stood, now stood a Poliwhirl.

“Oh Arceus…Zarya…!”

The Poliwhirl turned to her trainer, and gave a resolute nod. With her growth, any aches and pain were gone. She had returned to peak performance, and was ready for her next command to turn this battle around.

Ash gave a manic smile, “Zarya, are you up for another Hydro Pump?”

“Poli!” she gave her affirmative, her voice noticeably deeper.

Bloom shook off her amazement, “Druddigon! You can still use Outrage, right? Continue the attack!”

The massive dragon would have roared if not for its broken jaw. It charged up its power, and surged towards Zarya. The Poliwhirl released a Hydro Pump at the same time, blasting the dragon and halting it in its advance. This particular geyser of water was easily three times more powerful than the previous attacks Zarya was able to pull off as a Poliwag. Not only did it force Druddigon back several inches on impact, the inertia of the sudden stop caused all the built-up power within the dragon’s body to backfire, causing Druddigon to feel its own attack turn on itself. The beast of a dragon became disoriented, unable to fend off the continuous barrage of water. In its confusion and pain, Druddigon forgot to breathe, and within a minute, blacked out from oxygen deprivation.

Seeing the monstrous dragon begin to fall, Ash called out, “Zarya, stop!”

The water slowed, and stopped. Druddigon was on the concrete floor, not moving.

“Druddigon is unable to battle! Blue trainer Ash Ketchum advances to the quarterfinals!”

Ash gave a whoop of joy, hopped over his box, and went to give Zarya a tight hug. Bloom returned her fainted partner, sighed quietly at her loss, before putting on a small smile, “Thanks for the battle, Ash!”

“Hey, no problem!” Ash called back, “You were a tough trainer. You gave my team a hard run!”

Bloom chuckled, “You got lucky there, Ash. If your Poliwag hadn’t evolved, the battle wouldn’t have been so straightforward.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Ash agreed.

“Well, gotta get my team healed up. Thanks again, Ash!” Bloom waved, before stepping off her box and disappearing from sight.

Ash let out a contented sigh, returning his focus on hugging Zarya. He would allow himself and his team this moment of respite. After that, though, it was back to business.

If his battle against Bloom was difficult, his subsequent battles were going to be gargantuanly arduous. Defeat was even more possible as he approached the top, and Ash had to keep that in mind as he led his team.

Now wasn’t the time to get cocky or rest on laurels, things were about to get serious, and he needed his team to be ready.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slips in one more Winx character, an OC, and the protagonist of BNHA because why not*
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Bloom or Midoriya Izuku. The former belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rainbow SpA, and the latter belongs to Horikoshi Kōhei. The character of Rykios belongs to me.
> 
> So a few things before we wrap up.
> 
> You can expect to see at least one more Winx character show up in the next chapter, and one final one when I take on the events of the First Movie. Just putting it out there to the readers. 
> 
> I love Winx Club, even with all the controversy and mixed reviews surrounding Season 8, and one might think that I might get back to Fuoco e Acqua because of it. Unfortunately, when I don't have the motivation or will to write, merely forcing it will only produce sub-standard content that will go badly with readers and myself. So until I find the strength in me to divide my attention beyond Pokémon, my other stories will be sitting in stasis.
> 
> Finally, the next chapter will be battle-intensive. Once again, I'm going to put forth that writing battles is not my cup of tea, but I'm going to try my absolute best here.
> 
> That's really all from me for now. As usual, the standard protocol - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Stay safe, and take care of one another.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	14. Kanto 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining rounds of the Clubsplosion Tournament continue, leading up to the Finals.

Shit was about to get real.

Out of over five hundred trainers that entered the tournament, now only eight remained, Ash included. The quarterfinals would see four separate battles, semi-finals two, a third-place match, and then the finals. In a further raising of the stakes, only one match between each set of two trainers would take place.

The quarterfinals were scheduled to take place half an hour after lunch, so Ash spent the entire morning meditating with Luka to clear out his head of any worries, nervousness and fear that may cloud his judgement and cost him his matches.

His quarterfinal match was against a trainer from Hoenn, Flora Linpha.

Flora had golden brown skin, and luscious green eyes that reminded Ash of a meadow in spring. She was also somewhat larger and more curvaceous than the other female trainers Ash had met or battled against before, though he felt that it simply added to her natural beauty.

The referee did a coin-toss, before declaring, “Blue trainer, release your Pokémon!”

Ash counted his blessings. Flora was going first.

“You can do this, Sceptile!”

A green-coloured, bipedal reptilian Pokémon burst out onto the field. Its tail, which resembled a branch from a palm tree, was a dead giveaway that this Pokémon was at least a Grass-type.

This presented a choice for Ash. He could either have Adira or Agni to battle Sceptile. While Adira might seem like the obvious choice, since Sceptile was the fully-evolved form of a Treecko; one of the Hoenn starters, Agni also stood a fighting chance too. Grass-types were weak against Flying, Fire, and Bug-types after all. The difference here lay in experience. Did Ash want to take a risk and pit his first-stage Charmander against a fully-evolved Pokémon? Sure, he had done so against that bastard Riven, but while Flora appeared to be a nice girl, did Ash want to tempt fate and potentially cause more harm for his still-healing Charmander?

“Red trainer, you have ten seconds to select your Pokémon before you are forfeited from the match,” the referee’s voice cut through his thoughts.

A quick decision later, Ash made his choice.

“Let’s do this Agni!”

As Ash’s cape came flying off, the Charmander burst onto the field. Upon seeing his opponent, Agni flinched, but one reassuring look from his trainer helped calm down his nerves a little.

“Alright, Sceptile, use Energy Ball!” Flora commanded.

“Dodge them, Agni,” Ash said calmly, “When you can, use Flamethrower.”

The Charmander dodged all five crackling orbs of glowing green light. Sucking in his breath, Agni unleashed a burst of fire that barrelled straight towards Sceptile.

“Intercept it with Leaf Storm!” Flora said.

In most circumstances, a hurricane of sharpened leaves would have stood no chance against a burst of fire. However, in a testament to just how strong Sceptile was, the leaves were able to stop the fire at the expense of their existence. Ashes fell to the concrete floor like snow.

“Don’t mind, Agni!” Ash called out, “Use Fire Spin!”

“Dodge it, Sceptile!” Flora exclaimed.

Agni turned his back towards his opponent, and began spinning his tail like a helicopter. A tornado of fire was created, and sent spinning towards the Sceptile. The Grass-type rolled out of the way, forcing Agni to release more fiery tornadoes in an attempt to hit his opponent. It would take two more attempts, but Agni was able to trap Sceptile in spiralling flames that both immobilised it and dealt considerable damage over a period of five minutes.

“Great job Agni!” Ash praised, “Now use Fire Fang!”

“You can do this, Sceptile!” said Flora, “Use Giga Drain to recover your strength!”

Despite the flames trapping it, Sceptile was able to hit Agni with the attack and drain away some of the Charmander’s energy. Despite being left a little lethargic, Agni refused to be compounded. He surged forward, dove through the swirling flames, and bit down hard on Sceptile’s tail. More fire burst from his jaw, setting the branch-like structures alight. Sceptile screeched, flailing its tail about and throwing Agni off. The Grass-type was able to extinguish its tail, though it looked rather worse for the wear once the flames were gone. Fire Spin also dissipated, freeing Sceptile back into mobility.

“We’re not done yet!” Flora declared, “Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!”

The Grass-type raised its arms, and released the two elongated blades on each arm straight towards Agni.

“Use Flamethrower on the blades!”

Agni was able to burn away three of the incoming blades, but the last one clipped his side. The Charmander winced, as the cut began to bleed.

“Hang in there, Agni!” Ash called out, “Can you do an Overheat?”

“Char!”

Agni took a deep breath, and exhale super-heated air straight towards Sceptile. Not only did the Grass-type take damage from the horrendously dry air, small flames ignited all over its body.

“Use Giga Drain again, Sceptile!”

More energy was sapped out of the young Charmander. This time, there was a noticeable lag in Agni’s movements. Ash figured it was time to finish the match before his partner was taken out.

“Agni! End this with a Flare Blitz!”

The Charmander gave his best roar, as a surge of fire cloaked around his body. He charged towards his opponent in a comet of fire.

“Sceptile! Use Leaf Storm to protect yourself!” Flora cried.

The Grass-type raised a cyclone of leaves to protect itself from the incoming flames. However, Agni had put his all – energy, emotion, anger at Riven and Damian for his pain – into the fire. The leaves supposed to protect Sceptile were incinerated into ashes in a split-second, followed by an almighty explosion of fire when Agni collided with the Grass-type Pokémon. The air became super-heated, and Agni was thrown back from the shockwave. The Charmander was literally on his last legs, fighting against the exhaustion brought upon by the blowback.

Ash waited with bated breath. Following the fiery explosion, a cloud of dust had settled upon the field, obscuring the fate of Sceptile. It was a tense five seconds. When the dust finally cleared…

…Sceptile was lying flat on its back, unconscious.

“Sceptile is unable to battle! Victory goes to the Red trainer, Ash Ketchum!”

Ash released his breath in a loud sigh. He hopped out of his box to pick up his exhausted partner just before he could pass out on the field. Ash didn’t stop to celebrate their victory. Agni needed healing under the care of Nurse Joy.

* * *

“Mr. Ketchum?”

Ash turned at the call of his name. Flora approached his side.

“Oh, Flora, just call me Ash. How may I help you?”

“Is your Charmander going to be okay?”

“Yeah,” Ash gave a reassuring smile, “he’ll be fine. Nothing that Nurse Joy can’t handle.”

Flora made a noise of relief, leaning onto the railing as she gazed out into the open waters, “He fought bravely. He must have been intimidated by Sceptile’s size.”

“He was, for a bit,” Ash remembered, “But I think my presence helped.”

“It must have,” Flora agreed, “I heard through the grapevine that he was almost attacked by another trainer for beating his Pokémon not too long ago. Poor thing must have been terrified.”  
  


“That’s putting it lightly,” Ash replied with no less steely honesty, “Agni has a history of being abused, physically and emotionally, by his former trainer. And that bastard who nearly attacked him essentially destroyed all progress I made with Agni in one fell swoop. Despite his reassurances, I can tell Agni is still badly affected. I hoped that by winning this match, we can restart the healing process.”

Flora turned to Ash with a warm smile, “You are truly a good trainer, Ash. Any Pokémon would do anything to be your team.”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short, Flora,” Ash replied, “I can tell that you had a good hand in Sceptile’s growth and development too.”

“Yeah, he is my starter, after all,” Flora nodded, “But being a trainer…honestly doesn’t appeal to me.”

“How so?”

“I’m the first in my family to actually be a trainer,” Flora revealed, eyes looking somewhat distant, “My family is part of the wide network of agriculture workers who supply fresh produce to the region and beyond. Being a trainer was a dream of my Dad’s, but he never got the chance to. So he packed me off to trainer school and I graduated about two years ago. I would say the only good thing about being a trainer is the income that I can send back to my family during my travels. The whole idea of…battling feels very violent and destructive, to me. My Sceptile went through a lot of pain facing off against your Charmander’s fire, and I don’t like seeing sapient, living beings going through so much agony. But all my life, I have only been taught how to train Pokémon and have them battle. Even if I stop being a trainer, I don’t know what else to pursue.”

Ash spent a moment thinking, “There’s someone I think might be able to help.”

“Who?”

Ash gestured back into the ship, “Follow me.”

* * *

“What’s up, Ash?”

Flora stared dumbly, jaw fallen open.

“Hey Uncle Lance, this is Flora Linpha from Hoenn,” Ash introduced, “I thought that maybe you might be able to help her with something.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Linpha,” Lance smiled, offering his hand to shake.

Flora barely remembered to return the gesture, “C-Champion Lance, of Kanto and Johto?!”

Lance chuckled, “The one and only! So how may I help you, young lady?”

It appeared that the honour of meeting an actual Champion had short-circuited Flora’s thought processes, leaving Ash to relay the explanation, “Flora and I were earlier discussing the battle we had. She expressed her dissatisfaction about being a trainer, but found herself at a loss on how to move forward.”

Lance tapped his jaw, “Why do you not like being a trainer, Ms. Linpha?”

Eventually finding her tongue, Flora repeated her life story and desires for a non-violent existence with her Pokémon. Lance spent a few moments thinking, before coming to a brainwave, “Have you ever thought about being a coordinator, Ms. Linpha?”

“Coordinator?”

“A coordinator raises Pokémon to participate in events called Contests,” Lance explained, “These individuals enhance their Pokémon’s appearances through regular grooming and the consumption of specialised treats such as Berries and something called Poffins, if I’m not mistaken…” Lance looked a bit unsure before resuming, “Anyway these Contests are where coordinators show off your Pokémon, impressing a panel of judges with displays of their Pokémon’s moves and other theatrical aspects that I’m not exactly familiar with.”

“That…actually sounds fun, and there is no battling involved?” Flora had a hopeful look in her eyes.

“I’m not entirely certain,” Lance allowed, “I guess it really depends on the region. I know in Sinnoh they include battles as the second round of Contests, though I’m not sure about Hoenn. Since you’re from Hoenn, I can get in touch with Steven Stone to see if he can get you an apprenticeship under Gym leader Wallace Kuri. He is a top coordinator who has many accolades to his name. Given his love for contests, possibly even more so than being a Gym leader…” Lance muttered a bit on the off-handed side, “I’m sure he will be more than happy to teach you the ins and outs of Contests.”

One could literally see the hope blossom on Flora’s face, “R-Really? You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”

“Flora, if there is one thing my uncle is renowned for, is his honesty,” said Ash, “He is a man of his word. Any promise he makes, he will keep it until it is fulfilled in full. You can rest assured, that Champion Lance will see that you will get that apprenticeship sooner or later.”

This was too much for the overwhelmed Flora. Her eyes became misty with unshed tears as appreciation and gratitude filled her heart.

“I…don’t know what to say. I’m just at a complete loss for words. T-Thank you, Champion Lance. And thank you, Ash. I cannot even begin to voice my thanks for doing this for me!”

“Flora,” Ash gave her a gentle look, “You have every right to pursue what you enjoy best. For me, it is to become the best trainer for my team and an Aura Guardian that protects the world around me. If Contests are your thing, then you and your team should take them on with all the passion and joy you can muster. No one should be denied a chance to enjoy what they want to do.”

Lance couldn’t be more proud of his beloved nephew.

* * *

Mid-afternoon brought the semi-finals. Only four trainers remained in the tournament, split into pairs to determine who will make it to the finals, and who will duke it out for third-place.

Ash was up against a trainer from the Orange Archipelago, Helia Zhao. Helia had long black hair, about the same length as his own, tied in a loose ponytail and strung over his shoulder. Just like Rykios and Brandon before him, Helia was powerfully-built. Unlike the previous men, however, Helia had a peaceful look to his eyes, far from the battle-ready fire that stared back at Ash during those previous matches.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Ash was intrigued by Helia. By all accounts, his opponent appeared to have a rather pacifist, laid-back outlook towards life. Many would have expected someone like Helia to have an adverse perception towards battling. So seeing him participate in the tournament was an unusual anomaly for some.

Ash saw it as a learning opportunity. Helia was an enigma here. He knew right away that this was going to be an interesting battle.

“Red trainer, release your Pokémon!”

Ash was going first, and the cape came off.

“Let’s do this, Zarya!”

Helia nodded serenely, “A versatile fighter, and newly-evolved, I can tell. You will be a formidable challenge. Gallade, you know what to do!”

It would certainly be an interesting battle, for sure. It took a while for Ash to remember through his learning and research that Gallade was a dual Psychic and Fighting-type Pokémon. It was only possible because he had witnessed the correspondence between Professor Oak and his Unovan counterpart, Professor Juniper. The two researchers were investigating an unusual behaviour streak within several Gallade over in Unova, and Ash was brought in to provide his own personal opinions and theories as to the sudden behavioural change.

Gallade were among the most powerful Pokémon in exist, bar Legendaries. This was going to be the toughest match so far.

“Zarya, let’s begin this with a Hydro Pump!”

“Gallade,” Helia spoke calmly, “Let the mind be clear. Dodge the coming attacks with the fluidity of water.”

The dual-type fighter closed his eyes, and with powerful kick of his legs trained over years, Gallade dodged the geyser with enviable finesse.

“Don’t lose sight of him, Zarya!”

The Poliwhirl did her best to keep the flow of water aimed at her opponent. Gallade, however, made it extremely difficult for the water to hit.

“Gallade, use Psybeam.”

“Retreat, Zarya!”

Not wanting to risk the one in ten chance of getting chronically disorientated, the Poliwhirl followed her trainer’s command and tactically retreated from the Psychic-type attack. Gallade would fire three rounds of pulsating energy at Zarya before she could get another attack in.

“Zarya, keep him in place with your strongest Icy Wind! Don’t let him get away!”

A blast of freezing-cold wind raced towards the dual-type Pokémon. While his quick movements prevented Gallade from being frozen stiff, the ice gathering and spreading all over his body meant that within seconds, his speed has been drastically reduced.

“Good job, Zarya! Now use Surf!”

Surf was another move that required constant practice to get it right. As a Poliwag, Zarya’s Surfs almost always either came out too weak or too strong. Though Ash didn’t have to worry about the water drenching the spectators, the psychic barriers surrounding the field did their jobs extremely well. He hoped that as a Poliwhirl, Zarya would be able to control her water better and deliver a precise, powerful attack.

The water came like a tsunami. Still hampered by the ice, Gallade was just able to form a psychic shield around himself when the water crashed. The dual-type Pokémon was pushed back against his trainer’s box, looking a bit worse for the wear once the water receded.

“I have faith in you, Gallade,” Helia said, “Thaw yourself out with Sunny Day, and return the gesture with Close Combat.”

Ash immediately saw a window of opportunity here. Close Combat may be one of the most powerful Fighting-type moves known to science, but the main drawback is that the user’s Defence stats are reduced by half. Hopefully, if Zarya is able to tank most of the attacks, she could take advantage of her opponent’s reduced Defence to deal some pretty heavy damage that could potentially shorten the battle’s duration. Zarya might be evolved, but she didn’t have endless stamina. A prolonged battle would only reduce the chances of a decisive victory.

“Zarya, do your best to dodge!”

Gallade came in like a tempest. His bladed arms swung and hit in an attempt to wear his opponent down. Zarya did the best she could, taking on a few hits that came far too fast to dodge. It helped that she had arms and longer legs, allowing her to block and jump away from attacks. By the time the onslaught was over, the Poliwhirl sported multiple bruises and a black eye, yet still holding out strong. Gallade was out of breath, supporting himself on one bladed arm.

“Good job, Zarya! Now use Muddy Water!”

While not as powerful as Surf, an onslaught of dirty, mud-saturated water has a good chance of lowering an opponent’s accuracy by about thirty percent. Just like with Surf, Zarya practiced this move tirelessly with her trainer over a prolonged period of time. This was the first time she got to use it in battle.

Dark brown, rather sick-looking water rose up and hurtled towards Gallade. Again, the dual-type Pokémon created a psychic barrier to protect himself from the incoming surge.

“My friend, we cannot afford to continue this battle for much longer. Use Future Sight.”

Duking out against the water, Gallade’s ruby-red eyes gleamed. Ash, realising what was about to happen, quickly shouted, “Zarya, brace yourself with a Hydro Pump!”

Future Sight was arguably the most powerful Psychic-type move in existence. Even though the user wasn’t able to attack right away, since they would have to build up their power first, when all that power is unleashed, the results can be devastating. Ash remembered, in his research, that the most powerful Future Sight to be ever pulled off in history wrought utter and complete destruction to an area the size of Saffron City. While Ash knew Gallade most probably wouldn’t be able to pull off an attack of such an extent, his own power was more than capable of taking out Zarya in one fell swoop if she didn’t protect herself.

In a move that was both practiced and improvised on the Poliwhirl’s part, Zarya unleashed her water both at her opponent and herself. Some of the water swirled around her body like a protective cloak, while the rest splashed against the advancing Gallade. Psychic energy distorted the air, as the build-up reached critical mass. With a loud cry, Gallade released all the energy at once. Water and psychic energy collided and mixed. There was a great explosion, and for a brief moment, nothing could be seen on the field.

The water drained away, and the remaining psychic energy dissipated into nothingness. On both ends of the field, lay Zarya and Gallade. The Poliwhirl was barely conscious, struggling to keep herself up. Gallade, on the other hand, was not moving. He made an ached noise, before going silent.

“Gallade is unable to battle! Victory goes to the Red trainer, Ash Ketchum, who will advance to the Finals!”

Amidst the applause and cheers, Ash hurried over to his exhausted partner, “You did great, Zarya. Take a nice long rest.”

“Poli…”

Helia returned his unconscious battler, stepping out of his box and approaching Ash with no sign of hostility or ill-intent.

“I congratulate you, Ash,” said the peaceful trainer, “You are truly on the same wavelength as your partner.”

“It was a close-run thing, Helia,” Ash replied, “If Zarya hadn’t pulled through, or the circumstances were reversed, the match would have ended in a tie or Gallade would have been declared the victor.”

Helia nodded serenely, “But Zarya pulled through in the end. She is a strong fighter, who will become truly formidable once she evolves again.”

“Mm,” Ash agreed, “Thank you for the match, Helia. Now I think our Pokémon need a healer’s care.”

“They most certainly do.”

* * *

“Mr. Zhao?”

Helia turned at the call of his name. Flora approached him, her eyes glinting with a mix of nervousness and a desire for answers.

“How may I help you Miss…?”

“Flora,” she introduced herself, “I was watching your match against Ash just now.”

“I hope you were very entertained,” said Helia, half in jest.

“Well, I was more interested in you…actually.”

“Oh?” Helia raised an eyebrow, giving Flora his fullest attention, “What about me was so interesting to you?”

Flora scratched her cheek, “I decided to stop being a trainer about an hour ago. I find the whole concept of battling really violent and destructive. But as I watched you battle against Ash…you were different. All the people I battled against or watched always had this…passion, or should I say bloodthirstiness, in their eyes when pitting their Pokémon against their opponent. Like they were getting high from the adrenaline of seeing two living beings clash and hurt one another. And yet, when I watched you battle, you were completely calm, almost at peace. I found it…very unusual, and I wanted to know why.”

Understanding bloomed over Helia’s expression, “Flora, are you travelling alone?”

Not expecting the question, Flora tilted her head in confusion, “Eh? Um, yes I am. Why do you ask?”

“May I join you for dinner tonight? To help you understand, I will need a bit more time to explain things than I have right now. The third-place match is about to start, and I need to get ready. Shall we meet after the match? We can watch the finals together and head for dinner right after.”

“I – um, okay.”

“Great, I’ll see you later then, Flora.”

Helia headed back inside to prepare for his match. Flora stood rooted for several moments, the entire conversation replaying in her mind.

‘Is…is this a date?’

* * *

For the first time in his tenure as a trainer, Ash felt his nerves threaten to disrupt his thought processes. The finals were up in another five minutes. This was the moment he and his team had battled for, the fabled climatic moment.

After leaving Zarya to get healed under Nurse Joy’s care, Ash went to a quiet spot away from the main hub of activity to meditate and cleanse his mind of lingering adrenaline and unwanted thoughts. Luka joined him, adding an extra layer of Aura that was supposed to help with the meditation. However, it seemed that the nerves were especially agitated this time round, and the cleansing process was far from smooth.

“Damn these nerves, I can’t keep myself calm like this,” Ash muttered.

_“Being nervous before a pivotal, high-stakes match is natural, Ash,”_ Luka reassured, _“Sometimes, not even meditation can fully counteract the distracting effects of nervousness.”_

Ash sighed, “I wish I was a full-fledged Aura Guardian. I’m pretty sure they were able to completely control their nerves in stressful situations.”

_“Even the greatest Aura Guardians have to start somewhere. They have gone through the same paths that you are currently traversing. The solution is never presented to anyone unless they have earned it.”_

Ash closed his eyes, “I know, but I still hate this feeling of uncertainty.”

_“No one does,”_ Luka replied sagely, _“But we have to live and co-exist with what we don’t know. It is unavoidable.”_

Ash knew his first partner was right. He hated this feeling, but he had to continue forward. He couldn’t allow fear or uncertainty hold him back.

“Come Luka, I think our match is about to start,” he said, getting up.

_“Who will you ask to battle?”_

Ash turned to Luka, “If you’re up to it, I want you to battle.”

_“Very well, I’ll do my best.”_

* * *

The tension and excitement in the air was palpable. This was the moment everything had boiled down towards. Of the original five hundred and twelve trainers, now there were only two – Ash Ketchum, and a trainer from Sinnoh, Musa Lin, a fit young woman with black, blue-hued hair tied up in two short pigtails. One of them will walk away the winner of the Clubsplosion Tournament, a status that would add credential to their name.

Ash was in the red box, while Musa in the blue.

As everyone waited for the referee to take her position, Ash turned towards the overcrowded spectator stands. He made eye-contact with his uncle, who was sitting incognito with Brock. Lance flashed him a thumbs-up, mouthing “Good luck”. Ash nodded in acknowledgement, before turning back towards the field.

The referee did the coin toss, “Red trainer will release his Pokémon first!”

Ash undid his cape’s clasp, and threw it to the side, “Luka, let’s do this!”

As the Riolu leapt onto the field with a loud battle cry, Musa unhooked an unusual looking Pokéball (it was completely white, with the centre parting between the two halves a red colour), brought it to her lips, and whispered, “Do Mum proud, yeah?”

She turned back towards the field, and tossed the Pokéball. A femininely anthropomorphic-like Pokémon with long, flowing green hair shaped like musical bars burst onto the field. Immediately, a great gasp of amazement swept through the stands. Ash felt his breath hitch, Musa’s chosen Pokémon was a Meloetta.

Meloetta were what experts called a demi-Legendary, or Mythical. While not of the singular existence and power of a full-fledged Legendary such as Ho-Oh or Arceus, Meloetta were incredibly rare to find, and were among the most powerful of Mythical Pokémon. What added to their power was that Meloetta was one of only three known Mythicals who had two distinct forms. Their default form, Aria, was dual Normal and Psychic types, while Meloetta could transform mid-battle into their second, Pirouette form, which was dual Normal and Fighting type.

This particular Meloetta was in its Aria form, which Ash knew would prove to be a major challenge for Luka. If he wasn’t careful, his opponent could easily take him out with a liberal use of Psychic-type moves. Ash remembered that in order for Meloetta to transform into its Pirouette form, it has to use the move Relic Song, which carries a ten percent chance of putting the target to sleep.

He would risk that possibility if it means levelling the battlefield.

“Luka, let’s begin with an Aura Sphere!”

“Meloetta, dodge all and use Psybeam!” Musa countered.

Luka fired five glowing orbs of Aura in total, all of which Meloetta dodged with ease. The Mythical Pokémon then gathered its psychic energy and released in a powerful beam, forcing Luka to go on the defensive and dive out of the way before it hit him dead-on.

“Try to get close, Luka, and use physical attacks!”

The Riolu, picking himself up, charged straight towards his opponent. Meloetta hovered up to dodge the incoming attack, but Luka simply jumped up to the same height as his opponent. Once he got close enough, Luka used Force Palm repeatedly on Meloetta, not giving it time to fight back and sending it crashing to the floor.

“C’mon, Meloetta! Pick yourself up and use Psyshock!”

Peeling itself off the concrete field, Meloetta produced a distorting psychic wave and released it towards Luka. The Riolu dove out of the way, his tail barely clipping the edge of the wave. An unsettling shudder shot through his body, paralysing him for a second. This was all the time needed for Meloetta to fire another attack, Psychic, straight towards Luka. The Riolu was unable to dodge in time. The undulating telekinetic force made Luka’s head spin, exacerbated by what felt like hammers smashing against his skull.

“Luka, free yourself with your Aura! Then use Revenge!”

Despite his head feeling as if it was about to explode, Luka forced himself to pool his Aura together and release it to disperse the telekinetic energy surrounding him. Building up the emotions of anger and vengeance, the Riolu charged towards his opponent with the primal intention of enacting revenge for the pain he was put through moments before.

As Meloetta was part Psychic-type, the impact of Revenge wasn’t completely felt. But Luka’s fast-moving Revenge, added with a couple more Force Palms, forced the Mythical to go on the defensive.

Ash hoped that the barrage of attacks would force Musa to get Meloetta to use Relic Song.

However, it appeared that Musa had the same idea, and wasn’t going to give Ash an advantage any time soon.

“Meloetta, stay strong and use Hyper Voice!”

Despite the type disadvantage, Meloetta open its mouth and sang a loud note that was completely off-tune. Luka slammed his paws into his ears, trying to block out the horrendous noise from blowing out his ear drums. The spectators were unaffected, thanks to the psychic barriers, but Ash found himself a victim too. He needed Luka to force Meloetta to change forms quickly.

“Luka, shut it up with a Drain Punch!”

Enduring the ear-rape, Luka charged towards his opponent, and punched Meloetta straight in the jaw, draining some of its energy and using it to heal some of his internal injuries. Meloetta was thrown backwards several feet from the punch.

“Use Acrobatics, Meloetta!”

“Dodge, Luka!”

The Riolu went on the defensive, doing his best to block or dodge the aerial display that came straight towards him. It quickly became abundantly clear to Ash that despite his efforts, Luka was not likely to be able to get Meloetta to change forms. Looks like he will have to duke it out with the given circumstances.

The battle would continue on for another fifteen minutes. Luka and Meloetta traded attacks and dodged one another in an effort to wear down the other. At this point, it was too close to call which Pokémon had the upper hand. Furthermore, Ash and Musa shared one common mindset - finish this match quickly. Both Pokémon sported multiple injuries that would need an immediate trip to Nurse Joy once all was said and done. For the sake of their Pokémon, neither trainer could afford to let this match drag on.

Ash, ultimately, took the initiative first.

“Luka, let’s finish this! Give your best Reversal that you can pull off!”

Musa followed suit, “Meloetta, don’t let him get to you! Use Perish Song!”

Perish Song was an endgame move that could determine the outcome of a battle. While it was guaranteed to knock the user unconscious, if the opponent was in a worse state than the user, the opponent was almost guaranteed to be knocked unconscious first. As it was, it was difficult to determine which of the two, Luka and Meloetta, was in the worser state. It would only be known in the coming minute.

Luka pooled all of his energy and Aura together in a final, blazing attack with enough power to flatten a sizeable piece of forest at any given time. Meloetta began the first notes of Perish Song, just as Luka came within striking range.

The impact of Reversal caused a burst of energy akin to an explosion. The concrete floor cracked and fissured, kicking up a cloud of dust that blanketed the entire field, shrouding the two Pokémon from view. It would take five seconds for the dust to settle, allowing the referee to determine the outcome of the match.

Lying flat on the ground just a few feet away from the red box, Luka was unmoving, and unconscious. Across the field, Meloetta was on the ground too. For a full second, many spectators thought that it too was unconscious, and that the match would be deemed a tie. Then, Meloetta stirred, and slowly lifted itself up, in great pain.

This was all the referee needed to call the match.

“Luka the Riolu is unable to battle! Victory goes to the Blue trainer, Musa Lin, of Hearthome City!”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> So...
> 
> Ash has just experienced his first loss as a trainer. How does he react to this? We will not know the full extent of the fallout until the next chapter is released.
> 
> Moving away from the story for a bit, it was only a matter of time until Ash lost a match. As much as I have made him more powerful thanks to Aura and Luka's presence in his life, having him constantly win matches will serve no good for his development as a character in this story. I have seen many other stories where the author makes Ash extremely overpowered and he wins his matches left, right and centre. While this trope may work in certain contexts, it only results in my lost interest if not executed properly.
> 
> On a separate note, Helia and Flora is actually my favourite pairing from the Winx universe. Any conflict between them is not overdramatised and is peacefully resolved with communication and understanding. Plus, I find them the most adorable out of all the couples. They compliment each other so well, and I think they are very lucky to have one another.
> 
> Finally, while the tournament may be over, things will not settle down come the next chapter. Evil forces are afoot, and will be making their move before the day is done. However, Ash will also be entering a new stage of power at around the same time. Whether or not this will make any difference remains to be seen.
> 
> That's all from me for now. As usual, the standard protocol - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, and stay safe.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	15. Kanto 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Ash's first loss, an ominous prophecy, and the S.S. Anne comes under attack.

“Status update, grunt.”

“We’re in the final preparations, Executive. The plan should be ready to commence once the Boss gives us the go-ahead.”

“Make sure that you do a damn good job. If you don’t want to be stuck as a pitiful, lowly grunt for the rest of your miserable life, then you and the others better not fuck this up. The Boss has been planning this for months already. It will do you the world of good to do your damn job and make sure this goes off without a hitch. Understood?”

“Y-Yes, Executive!”

The unknown person, watching their subordinate flee the room, turned back to the plans with a twisted, sick grin. If they were able to pull this off successfully, and the whole region is made aware of their dramatic return, that coveted promotion to Chief Executive would be theirs for the taking.

It was a tantalising position, and if thousands have to die in the process...well, they didn’t give two shits about it.

* * *

“Luka the Riolu is unable to battle! Victory goes to the Blue trainer, Musa Lin, of Hearthome City!”

The spectators burst into raucous cheers. Ash stood motionless in his box for a few moments, eyes hidden by his fringe. Then, as if springs were released, he picked up his cape and rushed onto the field. Luka was still unconscious when Ash reached him. Gently, the teen wrapped his starter in the cape, and picked him up, cradling the Riolu to his chest.

“I’m proud of you, Luka,” Ash whispered, almost emotionless, “Let’s get you to Nurse Joy.”

In his haste to leave the field, he missed Musa coming up to him to thank him for the battle. The Hearthome City native watched him rush out, wondering if his loss had affected him much harder than he showed.

Actually, Ash was indeed hit hard by what was his very first loss in a Pokémon battle. Although his expression was the very definition of calm and collected, his heart had been crushed and pulverised into powder. A loss was always devastating, depending on the individual, but experiencing the very first one always brought upon a slew of new emotions that, frankly, Ash didn’t know how to handle in practice. But the last thing he wanted was to break down in the open, in front of dozens of strangers. 

Barely keeping it together, Ash arrived at Nurse Joy’s station.

“Please heal him,” he told the nurse stoically, “And have him delivered to suite FC45 once he’s recovered.”

“Don’t you want to wait for him?”

A tremor shook down Ash’s body, “Please...just take care of him.”

Without waiting for Nurse Joy to respond, Ash turned on his heel and hurried for the elevators, just missing his uncle Lance and Brock.

He barely made it into his suite and closed the door behind him when his fraying control of his emotions snapped. He slumped onto the floor, tears spilling from his eyes. The faintest of blue hues enveloped his trembling body, his Aura beginning to act up from the growing hurricane of emotion that Ash had long given up trying to control.

Somewhere, pushed back into the furthest recesses of his mind, Ash knew that losing a Pokémon battle was inevitable. He knew, logically, that there will always be someone better and stronger than him somewhere out there in the world. But the unfamiliar pain of losing, something he had never really experienced before, was unusually paralysing. Increasingly, he felt that he had failed Luka. Years of training, gone down the drain just like that. It was illogical thinking, a result of spiralling emotions that cloud the mind and prevent a person from rational thought. 

In some way, Ash’s training with his Aura was probably why he hadn’t broken down completely into hysterical sobs. But that didn’t stop from the blue hues from getting progressively brighter, as his internal control of his Aura started to slip even more.

The lock to his suite was undone, but Ash failed to hear the tell-tale electronic sound. He only registered that someone was in his suite when footsteps rushed up to him and he felt that individual wrap his strong arms around him in a crushing hug.

“U-Uncle Lance?”

The Champion of Kanto and Johto rubbed soothing circles over his nephew’s back, “I’m here Ash. It’s going to be okay.”

Lance pointedly did not tell Ash to let out his emotions. He absolutely did not want an explosion that could blow a hole in the side of the ship.

“I-I tried, uncle. But I...I…”

“Shh, it’s okay. You did your best. You did absolutely wonderfully. Your first official tournament, and you came second-best. That is further than many other trainers who just started out are capable of achieving.”

Ash sniffled, “S-So I didn’t fail Luka?”

“Ash, you were up against a Mythical Pokémon,” Lance replied seriously, “I don’t have the slightest clue on how Ms. Lin was able to capture one. And despite the obvious type disadvantage, it was a really close match. Meloetta was barely able to pick itself up at the end. If Luka was able to inflict so much damage that a powerful Pokémon like Meloetta was just an inch away from losing consciousness, it is undeniable proof that Luka is among the strongest Pokémon I can ever say that I have the honour of meeting.”

Brock stayed by the side-lines, not wanting to intercede in Lance’s delicate job of helping his nephew recover from his loss. When he heard the doorbell ring, the Gym leader quickly went to answer it.

To his surprise, he found three people standing outside, namely Flora, Helia, and Musa.

“Is this Ash’s room?” Flora asked, voice tone clearly worried.

“Yes,” Brock nodded, “What do you need?”

“We wanted to check on him,” Helia replied truthfully, “He appeared really devastated.”

Brock turned back to where Lance was shielding Ash from view with his taller body, “Leave it to Champion Lance, he’ll make sure that Ash will pull through.”

The trio were about to take Brock’s reassurance and leave, when Lance turned, “Brock? Who is at the door?”

“Three of Ash’s opponents during the tournament, Lance. They want to check on him.”

Ash peeked around his uncle, “Flora?”

“Ash!” Flora pushed her way in, followed by Helia. Musa, noticeably, stayed back near Brock’s side, as if unsure if she would be allowed to get close to the trainer whom she narrowly beat not too long prior, “Are you alright?”

Ash bit back the sniffle, he dare not show weakness before his former opponents, “I...will be eventually.”

“Ash, you performed bravely during the Finals,” Helia added truthfully, “Are you a veteran trainer?”

“No...I’ve only been a trainer for a few months.”

Helia nodded, “An impressive feat of strength. I have been a trainer for close to eight years, and I have been bested by a relatively new arrival. Loss is never a failure. It is a stepping stone to greater heights. I will never deny the pain of a battle that was lost, but the pain is not permanent. It will fade with time and support. You have your uncle, Mr. Harrison, and your team. You have a great support network, and the path to recovery is open to you easily.”

Ash swallowed, but he couldn’t deny what Helia was correct.

Meanwhile, Musa and Brock were engaged in quiet conversation by the door. With a nod from the Pewter Gym leader, Musa approached the group. Flora and Helia got up to make space for her.

“Mr. Ketchum, I-”

“Ms. Lin, or Musa, if I m-may call you that?” Ash interrupted. When she gave her consent, he continued, “I-I’m not angry that you beat me. Do not feel obliged to apologise for what was your genuine victory. As I said to Helia, I only have a few months of experience under my belt. Compared to other established trainers, I am still only a rookie. I have far too much to experience first before I can be considered a veteran. Still, the match was one of the most exhilarating I have ever had the honour of experiencing. And I thank you for that, Musa.”

Though touched by Ash’s understanding words, Musa still had something to say, “Ash, if I may call you that? To be very honest with you, I too can be considered a rookie myself. I only started training Pokémon seriously for five months now. Meloetta was the tank who carried my team, in all actuality. If I had chosen another Pokémon from my team, I think your Riolu would have beaten me fair and square.”

Lance pounced on the opportunity to ask the question that weighed on his mind, “Ms. Lin, if I may ask, how did you get Meloetta? It is not every day that a trainer has a Mythical Pokémon on their team.”

Here, Musa’s eyes turned slightly misty, “Meloetta was actually my mother’s Pokémon. They encountered one another when my mother was a child, when Meloetta saved her from a rampaging Pokémon out in the wild. They stuck together thick through thin, the best of friends. But, when I was five, my mother suddenly became gravely ill. The doctors couldn’t determine what her illness was, and it only deteriorated from there. When I visited her bedside, she entrusted Meloetta to me. She pleaded for me to take care of Meloetta, and I promised that I would. She died that very night.”

A shocked, sombre air descended upon the suite. Helia held a teary-eyed Flora close, Lance doing the same for Ash.

“My father was devastated by her death. Thinking it was the best way to cope, he went on multiple music tours, often leaving me alone with Meloetta and a helper that took care of my mother in her final days. It took me a long time to accept that my mother was really gone, but I think it was Meloetta who helped make that acceptance a little easier. In a way, a part of my mother remained with Meloetta. And it was Meloetta’s presence that drove me to continue my mother’s legacy by becoming a trainer myself. It took a long time, as I was still mourning her death, but I finally decided, five months ago, to put together a team and become a registered trainer. The Clubsplosion tournament was actually my first official tournament I ever took part in, simply because I wanted to travel the world a bit first before I returned to Sinnoh and took on the regional league. I hoped that by taking part, I could gain invaluable experience that would help me as a trainer. I had never actually lost a battle before, and even though I won the Finals, it was a really close thing. I almost experienced defeat today, and while I’m happy that I won, this match made me very aware that it was only by sheer luck that I won. Defeat was very possible, and it will be inevitable. I wanted to thank you, Ash, for being a tough opponent and reminding me to never be complacent. You made Meloetta work hard for her victory, and Luka put up a great fight too.”

Now it was Ash’s turn to feel his eyes become misty, “You’re most welcome. And thank you for helping me become a better trainer for the future.”

The two shook hands, and whatever lingering tension was quickly dissipated. Then, the doorbell rang for a second time. Brock went to answer it, and opened the door.

“Yes? How may I help-”

Brock’s mouth immediately went dry. Nurse Joy asked, “Is Ash Ketchum and Musa Lin inside? I’m here to deliver their Pokémon.”

Ash and Musa immediately stood up, and went for the door. Sitting on a trolley was Luka and the unusual Pokéball that housed Meloetta. Behind Luka was Ash’s cape, neatly folded.

Luka immediately leapt into Ash’s arms, while Musa took the Pokéball.

“Are you feeling better, Luka?”

_“Much better, Ash,”_ the Riolu replied telepathically, _“I’m sorry that I wasn’t strong enough to hold out for just a bit-”_

“No,” Ash interrupted firmly, “Do not finish that sentence. You did your best. I do not want to hear any further self-deprecation, okay? There will always be someone better and stronger than us. We cannot win every battle. But as long as we try and do our best, I cannot ask for anything more, okay?”

Luka nodded after a moment, _“I understand. I’ll do my best to move forward.”_

Seeing their trainer and pseudo-leader in better spirits, Agni, Zarya and Arion made noises of relief. Though they wisely backed away when they saw the look on their trainer’s face once he became aware of what Brock was doing.

“…your eyes are as sparkling as a pristinely-cut emerald!” the hormonal Gym leader praised the Nurse Joy, who merely stared back with a forced grin. Brock then took her hands, continue his exaltations, “I wish from the caverns of my sincere heart that you will-”

_WHAM!_

Flora, Helia and Musa stared, completely nonplussed, as Ash pulled his bat from somewhere and whacked Brock across the head with enough force to send the Gym leader flying a few metres to the side. Watching Brock hit the floor with a hint of pride, Lance fished a notebook from his pocket and made a tally, “And that is five hits so far.”

* * *

The dining hall that evening seemed to undergo a transformation that really drove the message home of the grandeur, pageantry and splendour that the closing ceremony of the Clubsplosion tournament was supposed to display.

All the tables had been shifted to the sides of the hall, leaving an open space near the raised stage for people to mingle and socialise. Everyone was dressed in their best clothes, and many of the adults had champagne glasses in hand.

Ash was no exception. As being a registered trainer meant that he was an adult in the eyes of the League, he had his own flute of champagne in hand, chatting amicably with the fourth-place contender of the tournament, a young woman from Unova called Tecna Zenia. The magenta-haired trainer had been in the circuit for three years now, but lost to Helia because of her over-reliance on stats and data, something she admitted with unusual earnest.

Somewhere else in the hall, Brock was chatting with an older man and his wife over something Ash didn’t really bother to care too much. The Gym leader was still occasionally nursing the bump on his head from the bat earlier, which he tried to play off as a result from getting into an accident with a door. Lance was hiding behind the stage, waiting for his grand entrance to the passengers on board, while Flora, Helia and Musa had their own congregation.

Not long after Tecna made her excuses to speak to a person whom Ash presumed was a fan, Brock ambled up to Ash. Immediately, Ash noticed something on his companion’s face.

“Brock…did someone slap you?”

Immediately, the Gym leader turned sheepish, “Well…”

Ash pinched his nose in exasperation, “Have you not learnt a single thing when it comes to respecting women? Or are you secretly a masochist who loves to be slapped and hit over the head by a bat?”

Before Brock could come up with a response, loud applause filled the hall. Up on the stage, Kanto Elite Four member Lorelei Kanna stepped up to a microphone.

“Good evening everyone! I hope everyone is having a great time so far?”

Loud cheers and even more applause made the point absolutely clear.

Lorelei grinned, “Wonderful! Now, we all know what we’re gathered here for. The tournament has reached its final conclusion. After several days of intense battling, over five hundred trainers dwindled down to four. These are our top winners of the Clubsplosion Tournament!”

The applause continued.

“Our third runner-up is Tecna Zenia from Castelia City in Unova.”

The magenta-haired trainer went up onto the stage and took her place in a designated spot.

“The second runner-up is Helia Zhao from the North Mandarin Island of the Orange Archipelago.”

Flora nodded to Helia, who went up to take his place on-stage.

“Our first runner-up is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto.”

Brock thumped his companion’s back, a proud look on his slap-marked face. Ash regained his footing, and made his way up onto the stage, cape trailing behind him. He went to stand next to Helia.

“And finally, the winner of the Clubsplosion Tournament, please give a great round of applause to Musa Lin of Hearthome City in Sinnoh.”

The hall echoed with thunderous clapping. Fellow Sinnoh natives cheered as Musa took pride of place at the centre of the stage, looking halfway between overwhelmed and proud.

“Now,” Lorelei got the attention of the passengers again, “back when I first announced the tournament, I did say someone special will be presenting the top four trainers their prizes. Before I introduce them to everyone here tonight, let us bring out the prizes!”

An assistant rolled out a long trolley. On it were four Ultra Balls, and behind each of the black balls were four cheques with varying amounts of money promised to each trainer for their standing positions. On the bottom tier of the trolley, were four large hampers containing rare items such as Full Restores and TMs.

“As I mentioned previously, the Pokémon within these Ultra Balls were willingly and voluntarily taken from both the Kanto and Hoenn Safari Zones. I personally do not know what Pokémon were chosen, but we will find out in a few minutes. Now, this is the moment we have all been waiting for, this mysterious guest who will present the prizes. I would like to introduce to everyone gathered here tonight, the Champion of Kanto and Johto, Lance Wataru.”

Ash could have sworn he saw the ceiling heave up and down by the sheer volume of the cheers. His uncle stepped onto the stage, dressed formally and his signature cape, waving to the audience in warmed poise. Hired photographers swarmed to the edge of the stage, cameras flashing like strobe lights.

“Champion Lance, would you like to say a few words?”

“Much obliged, Lorelei,” Lance took the microphone from his subordinate, “A very good evening to everyone aboard the S.S. Anne! How’s everyone doing so far?”

More cheers were the response.

Lance chuckled, “Excellent! It’s really warming to see such excitement and exuberance from the crowd tonight. But I won’t bore you with a long speech, because frankly, no one gives two hoots about that and those who do are just some stuffy old coots with no sense of the times and fun.”

Laughter reverberated through the hall.

“Let’s get this awards ceremony started, yeah?” Lance asked rhetorically to more cheers, “Ms. Zenia, if you would?”

Tecna stepped up towards the Champion as the hall applauded. A hamper and a cheque for twenty-five thousand Pokédollars were handed over, before Lance presented the corresponding Ultra Ball.

“To sate the curiosity of the gathered, why don’t you release your new Pokémon?”

Tecna shrugged. She took the ball, and opened it. A burst of red light shot onto the stage, materialising into a bipedal, condor-like Pokémon.

“A Xatu! Take good care of him!”

Immediately, Ash could see the calculations spinning like cogs in Tecna’s mind. Xatu stared at his new trainer in a manner that most people would find unnerving, but the Unova native was either oblivious or she didn’t give a fuck. Ash figured that it might be a bit of both. Arceus knows what their relationship was going to be like, a clash between objective logic and subjective psychic abilities.

“Mr. Zhao, you’re up.”

Helia came forward, received his prizes (the cheque read fifty thousand Pokédollars), and took the presented Ultra Ball. On Lance’s urging, Helia released the Pokémon now under his care. A beautiful, graceful-looking fox the size of a large canine burst onto the stage, drawing noises of awe from the audience.

“This Ninetales took a bit of convincing, but she eventually agreed to come along,” said Lance, “Treat her well, Mr. Zhao. Ninetales do not take kindly to neglect or abuse.”

“I swear on my life, Champion Lance, that I will treat her as the goddess she is,” Helia promised, before kneeling before Ninetales, “I hope we can get along.”

The regal fox-like Pokémon regarded him with cool neutrality for a moment, before padding forward and giving Helia a small lick on the cheek. It was a sign of acceptance between canine and man, and Helia grinned broadly.

Lance moved on, “Ash, your turn.”

The young Aura Guardian-in-training smiled, stepping up to his uncle. Lance handed him his hamper and cheque (worth seventy-five thousand Pokédollars), alongside the Ultra Ball. Ash took the ball, and opened it. A quadrupedal, mammalian Pokémon with a dark bluish-black body covered in lustrous white fur.

‘An Absol,’ Ash remarked.

Absol stared at her new trainer with unreadable eyes. For some strange reason, Ash found himself unable to look away. He never heard his uncle present Musa her prizes and her Ultra Ball, which revealed to hold a larger-than-normal Dratini. Human and Pokémon continued their staring contest, to the point that Luka (who had gone up on stage with Ash) grew a little concerned.

_“Ash, what’s wrong?”_

Luka’s telepathic voice made Ash blink. Absol turned away from her new trainer, staring across the dining hall towards one of the large windows overlooking the ocean. It was a moonless night, with only the stars illuminating the inky-black sky. She returned back to Ash, and closed the distance between them. As applause echoed through the hall, she pushed her crescent-shaped horn into Ash’s body.

Ash gasped, as a dark, ethereal female voice penetrated his mind and echoed, _“The calm of the sea will soon be broken. Creatures of the night, tainted by souls corrupted by evil, approach the oasis. If no help comes, innocence will be lost. Calamity will be guaranteed, should the Chosen One not intervene.”_

The voice disappeared just as quickly as it came, leaving Ash off-kilter as he was brought back to reality. Luka used some of his Aura to steady his trainer, something that Lance immediately noticed.

“Ash?”

Taking a moment to release a shaky breath, Ash turned to his uncle, and mouthed, ‘Not now, later.’

Lance eventually nodded, but the festive mood had already soured for the Champion.

* * *

“What’s going on, Ash?”

Once the ceremony had concluded, the gathered passengers dispersed to their tables for the grand feast that followed, save for three individuals.

Brock had seen Ash become off-kilter on stage, and as soon as his companion and Lance had stepped down from the stage and slipped off to an empty corridor, the Gym leader was quick to follow.

“Uncle Lance, I’m sure you’re aware of the superstition that Absol are harbingers of imminent doom or catastrophe?” Ash asked. When his uncle nodded, turning slightly pale from the implication, he drove the nail home, “Absol pushed her horn into me on the stage, and suddenly, I heard a voice in my head. I think it was a prophecy of some sort. It said that ‘creatures of the night, tainted by souls corrupted by evil’ will attack an oasis. Catastrophe will take place, if some ‘Chosen One’ does not intervene.”

Lance and Brock glanced at one another, looking rather worried.

“I…honestly don’t know what Absol meant about an oasis,” Ash continued, scratching his cheek, “But…we are in the middle of an ocean. The S.S. Anne is an island, dare I say, oasis of life in an otherwise uninhabitable landscape for humans. I…I can’t really say for sure, but does this mean that the ship is about to be attacked by hostile forces?”

Lance grew even paler, even if he put on his best effort to look composed, “I am not a superstitious person, but I cannot deny the fact that Absol have appeared before major calamities or disasters took place. At the same time…I don’t want to send the passengers into a panic.”

“Why not turn the ship back to port?” Brock suggested, “If I were you, I would not take the risk.”

Lance fell into deep thought, “We are quite some distance from the mainland. If the prophecy does come true, there is a chance that the ship will be attacked as it tries to return. On the other hand…prophecies can be fickle things. I’m no psychic, but I’ve been told that some people have made prophecies self-fulfilling because of recklessly trying to prevent it from coming true. We cannot rule out the possibility that we would put thousands of people in danger if we try anything reckless.”

Ash remained uncomfortable, but he couldn’t refute his uncle’s logic. He had one pressing question though, “What can we do though?”

“I will inform the captain and crew to be extra vigilant for malicious activity,” Lance replied resolutely, “Unfortunately, I will have to return to the Indigo Plateau tonight, as I have to prepare for a diplomatic trip to Sinnoh tomorrow.”

“You can’t stay?” Ash asked imploringly.

Lance gave a pained look, “As much as I want to make sure my nephew spends the rest of his cruise safe and sound, this is an extremely important trip. However, mark my words, if Arceus decides to curse us all and the ship does get attacked as prophesised, I will say screw you to Champion Cynthia and hightail it back.”

The Champion tried to put on an optimistic front, “Why don’t we go have dinner now? I want to spend a good meal with my nephew before I have to return to the drudgery of being a Champion.”

Ash’s stomach assented to that suggestion, though the teen knew, deep down, that it wasn’t just hunger that made his stomach act up.

* * *

_“Ash, are you still troubled?”_

The Aura Guardian-in-training turned to Luka. After dinner had ended and he saw his uncle off at the helipad, Ash had returned to his suite for the night. But while his stomach had been filled, the feeling of foreboding never left him. As his team slept (Absol decided one of the sofas was a good place to spend her first night with her new trainer), Ash and Luka discussed the foreboding air that refused to go away.

“It’s very hard to not be troubled, Luka,” Ash replied, “We cannot completely rule out the possibility of something happening to the S.S. Anne. Science has not been able to completely explain it, but Absol are somehow able to detect subtle changes within atmospheric pressure and on the ground or water that translates to an imminent disaster. Absol had turned towards the ocean for a few minutes on the stage before making her prophecy.”

_“What can we do then?”_

“Uncle Lance already did what he could,” Ash replied, “On our end, I told Brock to pack his things should we have to make an emergency exit. I’ve done the same too.”

Luka nodded, _“I’ll keep watch for any intruders. I am able to sense people with my Aura Sight in a radius of a hundred metres.”_

“Okay, we’ll take turns, yeah?” Ash suggested, “Wake me up in about three hours. I’ll take over from there.”

_“That is fine with me.”_

With an uneasy heart and stomach, Ash laid back onto the bed, turned off the lights, and tried to go to sleep. Luka stayed by his side, Aura Sight activated to begin surveillance along the corridors spanning the floor they were on.

All was calm for the next hour.

Up on the bridge, the captain, a rugged seafarer with many years of experience, was doing the night shift. He was about to clock off for the night and transfer responsibility to his crew when several blips began appearing on the radar.

Now, at first glance, the captain thought the ship was sailing through some rocky terrain. But when the blips seemed to be heading straight towards the Anne at alarming speeds, he immediately knew something was very wrong. Exactly five seconds later, despite the moonless night, the captain watched in horror as over two dozen submarines surfaced from the inky-black water, surrounding the ship like Sharpedo. In the illumination from the stars, he could clearly see the big capital Rs painted in blood red over the submarines’ fins.

Cursing under his breath, the captain rushed to the intercom that was wired to the entire ship.

“Attention passengers and crew! This is an emergency! We are surrounded and under attack by hostile forces! I repeat, we are attack! All passengers, leave your belongings behind and prepare for an emergency disembarkation immediately!”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit has just hit the fan.
> 
> Team Rocket strikes once again, and thousands of lives are in jeopardy. And while I did say in the previous chapter's ending notes that Ash will undergo a major upgrade in power during this catastrophe, whether or not it would be enough for him, Brock and their Pokémon to get out of this with their lives remains to be seen.
> 
> Also, we have begun 2021 for most of the world. I cannot say that whether this new year will be any better than the hellhole that was the year before, but one can hope that things will improve even the slightest bit.
> 
> That's all from me for now. As usual, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Happy New Year, and take care!
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	16. Kanto 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack on the S.S. Anne.

_“Attention passengers and crew! This is an emergency! We are surrounded and under attack by hostile forces! I repeat, we are attack! All passengers, leave your belongings behind and prepare for an emergency disembarkation immediately!”_

The captain and his officers quickly went to their defence positions. Despite the S.S. Anne being a passenger cruise ship, the officers and captain were all trained in defensive combat to protect the ship and the people on board against aggressors hoping to catch an easy target. As he and his personnel prepared to fight, the captain hoped that the rest of the crew were already getting the passengers moving.

However, unbeknownst to the captain, a good number of the crew were on board for more nefarious reasons.

* * *

Luka was keeping watch when the captain’s announcement blared through the suite. Immediately, Ash was awake, shooting up from the mattress.

“What’s going on?”

_“We’re under attack,”_ Luka replied, trying not to panic, _“We need to gather the team and Brock right now.”_

Horror settled into Ash’s stomach, but he immediately steeled his expression. There was no time to lose himself to panic, they needed to act right away. Ash jumped out of bed, and rushed to the railing overlooking the lower floor where his team were.

“Everyone! We’re under attack, get ready to move n-”

Suddenly, the door was blasted inwards, causing Absol and Agni to scramble back in a panic. Three people rushed into the suite, all dressed in black uniforms and white gloves and boots. Ash immediately noticed the distinctive blood-red Rs painted across the chest of the uniforms. A growl escaped from his throat.

“Sweet!” one of the trio, a man, cheered, “There’s Pokémon here!”

“Quick!” a second one said, “Let’s capture them and get out of-”

The grunt never got any further than that, as Ash leapt off the railing and crashed into him, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Leaving the grunt no time to recover, Ash grabbed the man’s head, and snapped his neck cleanly in two.

The rest of Ash’s team descended on the other two grunts.

Adira dismembered the second grunt’s limbs before decapitating him, while Absol gored her horn through the third grunt’s chest, before slashing her torso off from the rest of the body. In a matter of a minute, all three grunts lay dead on the floor, blood pooling in a growing puddle that stained the carpet.

“Nice job, everyone!” Ash said to his team, “We got to get moving right now. Agni and Arion, return to your Pokéballs, these grunts are dangerous individuals and I don’t want the take the chance of you being stolen. The rest of you, come with me. We need to get Brock and get off the ship.”

The six Pokémon made noises of assent. Ash returned Agni and Arion into their Pokéballs, clipped them onto his belt, and headed for the doorway, his team following behind. Just then, Brock came into view.

“Ash! Are you alright?! I heard the announcement, and-”

The Gym leader’s words croaked out when he saw the three corpses. His face turned pale, before taking on a slightly green cast from the rise of nausea.

“We don’t have much time. We need to get off this ship as soon as possible,” Ash cut in, pushing Brock away from the doorway, “It’s Team Rocket, my team and I dealt with them the way they deserved to be dealt with.”

Brock would have almost vomited had it not been for the seriousness of the situation. As they rushed down the corridor, passing rooms that had their doors blown off or left opened, they arrived at the elevator lobby. One of the elevators opened, and out poured a squadron of twenty grunts.

“Attack!” Ash roared without hesitation.

What followed was a second bloodbath. Necks were snapped, bones broken, heads and limbs were sliced off, torsos were gored through, and organs ripped out. The lobby lit up with flashes of blue light as Aura was used in the assault. A minute later, all twenty grunts were dead in a pool of blood.

“Let’s go!” Ash ordered the team, pulling a catatonic Brock along.

* * *

Meanwhile, on one of the submarines surrounding the S.S. Anne, a man with short cyan-blue styled hair stared out at the stricken ship with a twisted grin. From each of the submarines, long steel robes with sharpened heads shot out and punctured the metal sides of the Anne, holding her captive. With the help of Kadabra and Alakazam, grunts and their Pokémon were teleported onto the ship’s decks to carry out their tasks.

One grunt came up behind the man.

“Status report.”

“The captain and his officers are either busy or incapacitated, Executive Proton,” the grunt reported, “The bridge has been secured.”

“Good,” Proton nodded, “Get a Kadabra and have it teleport me to the bridge.”

“At once, Executive.”

The grunt returned not a minute later with said Pokémon. Proton released the Kadabra, and gave it a nod. Kadabra’s spoon bent, and in a flash of light, both man and Pokémon disappeared from the submarine. Less than three seconds later, they materialised in the bridge. Heading over to the control panel, Proton picked up the intercom microphone and spoke.

* * *

Ash and his team had just killed off another group of five grunts when a menacing voice echoed across the entire ship.

“Good evening, dear passengers, this is Executive Proton speaking from the bridge. If you are attempting to escape or resisting our forceful acquisition of your Pokémon and valuables, you will find that any attempt is futile. Our grunts have infiltrated the ship, long before even I arrived. There is no point attempting to fight back, you will just be killed and your precious _things_ will be taken anyway. And don’t bother about the lifeboats, for just about…”

A series of small explosions rocked the ship, causing the entire vessel to shudder and making Ash, his team and Brock lose their footing.

“…now, there are no lifeboats remaining. You are essentially stuck on a doomed vessel, sitting ducks to be slaughtered. Why you might ask? Well, I’ll be very blunt with you all, Team Rocket is going to destroy the ship. To raise the stakes, I won’t reveal how long you have left before your demise comes. It could five minutes, fifteen minutes, or even thirty seconds from now. Time to say your final prayers and rites, I’d think. Better make this count.”

The intercom cut. Elsewhere on the ship, Ash could hear pandemonium break out.

“W-What do we do, Ash?” Brock was frantic, “We're all going to die!”

“Do you have any Water-type Pokémon on-hand?” asked Ash, who despite the collected appearance, was desperately trying not to panic himself.

Brock shook his head. Ash turned to Adira, “If we are forced to jump from the ship, can you carry Brock?”

The Scyther immediately nodded. Even though the Gym leader was taller than her, she knew that the situation would allow no other alternative. She’d be damned if she didn’t at least help her trainer’s friend to survive this ongoing crisis.

Ash then turned to Zarya, “Can I trust you to carry me if worse comes to worst?”

The Poliwhirl also nodded.

Ash addressed the group, “Let’s try to make our way out to the open areas. It’s the only way we can get off the ship when it blows up.”

“Or…maybe we can go after this Executive Proton? Maybe we can stop him from blowing up the ship?”

It was a plan, but Ash immediately remembered the promise he made to Officer Jenny back at Mt. Moon. Plus, he wasn’t entirely sure, even with his Aura and training, whether he would be able to take on Proton in combat.

“No, we shouldn’t,” he eventually spoke, “We don’t know what we’re up against if we decide to take on Executive Proton. We should focus on getting ourselves to safety.”

“But what about Flora and Helia, or even Musa?” asked Brock.

A pained expression flashed over Ash’s face, “If we have a little more time, I would go look for them. But we don’t. The ship can blow up at any moment. It pains me to say this, but this is literally an ‘every man for himself’ situation.”

The gravity of the situation became abundantly clear to Brock. Taking a shuddering breath, he nodded, “Alright, let’s get moving.”

* * *

Many miles away at Indigo Plateau, Lance was just finishing his packing when Bruno burst into his quarters.

“Champion Lance! There’s an emergency!”

Immediately, unease filled the Champion’s stomach, “What happened?”

“The S.S. Anne is under attack! People are saying its Team Rocket!”

Cursing loudly, Lance abandoned his luggage and rushed to his office, with Bruno following suit. Immediately, Lance picked up a phone at his desk, “Detective Morrigan, I need you to assemble all available G-Men agents and get them ready for deployment. The S.S. Anne is under attack, and I need as many as possible to deal with the attackers!”

_“But Champion, most of them are on holiday or on leave-”_

“I DON’T GIVE A FLYING FUCK!” Lance roared, making Bruno flinch, “MY NEPHEW IS ON THAT FUCKING SHIP! JUST GRAB AS MANY AS YOU CAN, TELL THEM THEIR LEAVE WILL BE REIMBURSED, AND GET MOVING! IF MY NEPHEW DIES, SO HELP ME MORRIGAN, I WILL PERSONALLY WRING YOUR NECK AND HAVE MY DRAGONITE CREMATE YOUR FUCKING CORPSE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!”

_“Y-Yes, Champion!”_

“NOW GO!”

Lance slammed the receiver down, and literally crumpled to the floor. Bruno hesitated for a moment, before hurrying over to help his boss up to his feet, “Champion, you need to calm down. You can’t think straight when riled up.”

The Champion took long, shuddering breaths. Once he was a bit more composed, he turned to the hulking man, “Bruno, get the helicopter ready. I need to make sure those useless bastards actually do their job right for once and get my nephew and Brock off of that Arceus-damned ship.”

“Champion, you mustn’t,” Bruno tried to get him to see reason, “If Team Rocket sees you coming in, they will try to take you out alongside the ship. Think of the chaos it would cause if the biggest terrorist organisation in Kanto succeeded in killing the Champion!”

“But Ash-”

Bruno really didn’t want to play devil’s advocate here, but for the sake of both the Kanto and Johto regions, he had no other choice, “Ash has Aura, right?” Lance nodded. “Hopefully, Arceus willing, he will be able to defend himself against Team Rocket. You must have faith in him, okay?”

Lance truly wanted to have faith that his nephew would get through this crisis alive, but damn it, what if Ash dies? How was he going to explain to his sister that he essentially left her son to die at the hands of a terrorist organisation? Delia would never forgive him, and he could not live with the guilt should that, Arceus-forbid, ever happen.

Just as he was about to respond, a black miasma shot up from the floor. It dissipated, revealing a petite, old woman holding a gnarled cane, flanked by Lorelei and a woman with long, shaggy light blue hair.

“I expected something like this to happen,” the old woman muttered.

“Agatha, Lorelei, Karen,” Lance acknowledged.

Agatha hobbled forward, “Fate and Absol _never_ tempt one another.”

“Yes, I know that now, please don’t rub it in, Agatha,” Lance replied irritably. The last thing he needs right now is someone reminding him of his greatest mistake to date.

“Champion Lance,” Lorelei said, “The news stations are already picking up the incident. We should head to the counsel room to monitor the situation and make any necessary calls should the situation arise from it.”

Lance nodded, “Yes, we should. Agatha, take us there.”

The Ghost-type mistress nodded. Bruno guided Lance to the trio. The same black miasma shot up from the floor around them, engulfing the group completely. When it dissipated, all five had vanished.

* * *

Back on the S.S. Anne, Ash, his team and Brock were still trying to find their way to the outside decks. Just a few minutes prior, the electricity had been shut off, presumably by Team Rocket. With the elevators out of commission and the hallways pitch-black, Ash and Luka used their Aura to light the way. Ash and his team would dispatch another ten Rocket grunts they encountered. Although this time, they had assistance from Brock, who had jumped into the swing of things after seeing one of the grunts threaten a child who had gotten separated from her parents.

With a child in tow, the group navigated their way through the corridors, looking for staircases that might take them to the outside. As they were about to turn a corner, Ash heard a vaguely familiar voice.

“Izuku, wait, there’s some light ahead.”

“You think it’s those grunts?”

Ash spoke, “Rykios? Izuku?”

“Ash? Is that you?”

The group turned the corner. True enough, Rykios and his husband Izuku appeared before them.

“Oh thank Arceus!” the shorter of the couple sighed in relief, “It’s so good to see a familiar face right now.”

“Are you two okay?” Ash asked, eyeing the cuts and bruises dotting the two men’s arms and faces, “You look like you’ve just gotten out of a fight.”

“A group of those grunts burst into our room and attempt to steal our Pokémon,” Rykios replied, “We were able to fight them off, but not without injury.”

“We’re currently looking for a way out,” said Brock, “Do you want to join us?”

“Safety in numbers,” Izuku nodded.

“Alright, stay close, and let’s go.”

* * *

“That will teach you not to underestimate us,” Helia growled as he delivered one last kick to a downed grunt’s spine.

Flora took deep breaths, clutching a chair that she had used to brain another grunt in the head. Her Sceptile was by her side, his jaws stained with blood from another two grunts that had their throats ripped apart by the Grass-type Pokémon.

It had been a quiet, dare Flora say romantic evening after dinner. She and Helia had spent the hours talking away, watching the calm, star-lit ocean on the balcony of the latter’s room. Then, came the announcement from the captain. They had only just bolted up from their chairs when the door was blasted in. Five Rocket grunts swept into the room, forcing Helia and Flora to defend themselves.

The fighting lasted for two minutes. All five grunts were taken out, but the pair immediately knew that they were in danger, especially when Pierce made his announcement over the intercom.

“Flora, let’s get out of here,” said Helia, “More will come if we stay.”

The Hoenn native returned Sceptile to its Pokéball, “Right, let’s go.”

Unlike Ash and his group, Helia and Flora did not jump into more fighting should they see grunts headed their way. They ducked into dark corners or spaces, waiting for the grunts to pass, before continuing on their search for an exit. Things didn’t get any easier when the power was shut off. Picking their way through the darkness, Helia and Flora would hide at the sound of any movement that appeared to be hostile. At the same time, though, the stress was beginning to build. The threat of the ship being destroyed at any time took its toll, and for Helia, he needed to release it before it caused _him_ to explode.

When the sound of hurried footsteps came directly towards them, Helia let it all out.

Dashing forward, he raised a fist, battle-cry at the ready.

“Hey! Whoa! Stop! Helia, it’s me, Musa!”

Helia froze.

“Musa? Is that really you?” Flora asked tentatively.

The person before them shuffled through their pockets. Whipping out a smartphone, she turned the in-built flashlight on and turned it on their face.

Flora sighed in relief, “Oh it’s really you, Musa! We thought you were one of those criminals or something.”

“I thought so too,” Musa replied truthfully, “I just shook off a whole squadron of those grunts not too long ago. But the long hair kinda discerned you from those bastards, Helia.”

“My apologies, Musa. The stress of the situation does not help matters.”

“It’s cool, I just want out of here,” Musa ran a frustrated hand through her pigtails, “So got any ideas to jump ship?”

“We could try to find our way to the outside decks,” Helia suggested, “We can have my Gallade teleport us to the nearest point of civilisation.”

“He can’t teleport us right now?” asked Musa.

Helia shook his head, “Gallade requires open spaces to teleport. If he is within a confined area, he will not be able to channel his psychic energy sufficiently enough to determine the right coordinates to get us safely to civilisation.”

“Taken from experience?” asked Flora.

“Yep,” Helia nodded gravely, “One time, I tried to experiment with Gallade teleporting indoors. We nearly fell into an active volcano before Gallade managed to teleport us back to my room.”

“Ouch,” Musa winced, “Well then, let’s get moving, yeah?”

* * *

“How close are we to the outside?” asked Brock.

Ash frowned, channelling his Aura to scan the surroundings. It felt at times that they were walking around in circles. Even with the bright illumination that came from his and Luka’s Aura, the corridors looked virtually the same no matter how far they’ve walked. At this point, the main goal was to find a flight of stairs that could at least take them to the pool deck. Once they were out in the open, they could think of a plan to get off this ship before it was blown apart and sent to the bottom of the ocean.

Rykios had joined Ash’s team and Brock as lookouts for any grunts attempting to cause trouble, while Izuku had taken the comforting the young girl and shielding her from the worst of the violence whenever the group had to get physical.

“If I want to be honest…I’m not entirely sure,” Ash replied, “The Anne is a big ship, and we’ve only encountered one flight of stairs.”

The situation was grim. By right, the stairs should have at least shortened the journey to the pool deck, but the group quickly found that Team Rocket grunts had sabotaged the stairs by blowing it up one floor up, forcing them to get off at the eleventh floor and resuming their search.

It also didn’t help that the Anne didn’t have a standardised layout due to the different classes of rooms, suites and amenities on every floor.

By this point, everyone was on tenterhooks, especially the young girl in Izuku’s arms.

“I-I’m scared…I want my Mummy and Daddy…”

Izuku did his best to comfort her, “Don’t worry, we’ll find your parents, okay? Everything will be fine.”

A few tense minutes would pass, before Luka perked up.

_“Ash, I can sense a flight of stairs ahead.”_

“Good news, everyone!” Ash turned back, “Luka managed to find a staircase up ahead. Hopefully, it will take us outside.”

Tentative hope spread among the group. Finding the door, everyone slipped into the pitch-black stairwell. The pool deck was at the highest floor of the ship, so the only way forward was up.

Everyone was on high-alert. There were still the possibilities of another Team Rocket attack or sabotage that could hamper their ascent. Despite the urgency of the situation, the group climbed as quietly as possible so as to not alert anyone who might be on the stairwell too.

Then, just as they were reaching the fourteenth floor, voices could be heard approaching the door.

“Everyone, be quiet, and get ready to fight,” Ash whispered.

The voices grew closer, as the tension rose. When the door opened, the group braced themselves.

“Wait, why is there blue light?”

Ash immediately relaxed, “Flora?”

“Ash? Is that you?”

The rest of the group dropped their battle stances when Flora, Helia and Musa entered the stairwell landing.

“Oh thank Arceus,” Helia literally sighed in relief, “I thought it was more Team Rocket grunts.”

“It’s good to see you three,” said Ash, “Did you run into any trouble getting here?”

“Thankfully no,” Musa replied.

“We’re on our way to the pool deck,” said Flora, “Helia’s Gallade is able to teleport us to the nearest point of civilisation if done so in an open area.”

“What a coincidence!” Ash remarked, “We were also planning to get there too. Helia, do you think Gallade could help us as well?”

“Yes, but he will have to take multiple trips,” Helia nodded, “We’re a large group, and I don’t want to risk any one of us getting left behind or dropped somewhere else.”

“Right, let’s hurry!”

* * *

The pool deck was devoid of people when the group finally emerged into the moonless night. From the illumination of the Aura, the whole deck was completely ravaged. The only way to describe the carnage was as if a tornado had gone through the deck, whipping and chucking anything that wasn’t nailed down indiscriminately. Chairs and fixtures filled the swimming pool, while most of the glass windows were shattered.

“Alright, Helia, can you call out your Gallade?”

The long-haired man nodded, unhooking a Pokéball from his belt. The bipedal, dual-type Pokémon emerged.

“Gallade, can you determine the coordinates of the nearest point of civilisation from here?”

“Ga!”

Gallade put his bladed arms together and concentrated. A pinkish-purple aura began radiating from his form, but a few seconds later, it suddenly disappeared. Gallade made a noise of shock, before staring down at his arms in disbelief.

“Gallade, what’s wrong?” asked Helia, growing concerned.

Luka immediately came forth, and made communication with the dual-type warrior Pokémon. The Riolu then went back to Ash, and then transferred the reply.

“Something is blocking Gallade’s psychic powers,” Ash translated, “Something much stronger than he can imagine.”

Confusion settled among the group, but that quickly shifted when the intercom crackled to life for the second time.

“Well, would you look at that,” Proton cackled, “I believe we have given enough time for everyone to say their final prayers and rites. The moment everyone has been waiting for, the end of the S.S. Anne and the doomed passengers she carried. Oh, and don’t even think of trying to teleport off. Our secret weapon has tactfully closed off this escape route. We can’t let anyone leave this ship alive, after all. This is Executive Pierce, and may you all rest in pieces at the bottom of the ocean. Farewell.”

The voice cut, and all around the ship, panic broke out.

The group turned to one another frantically.

“W-What’s happening?!” Izuku cried.

“What secret weapon are they talking about?!” Brock worriedly asked.

Ash and Luka looked around, trying to scope the location of this secret weapon. They headed for one of the shattered windows overlooking the ocean. The submarines were in view, but there didn’t appear to be anything sign of weapon that could cause an entire ship to sink. Several prospects ran through Ash’s mind, an upgrade grenade launcher that fired bombs instead? Or maybe Pokémon that were capable of Hyper Beams?

Luka looked up, and blanched, _“Ash, look! Up there!”_

Ash turned his gaze to where his starter was gesturing towards. At a singular point of starry night sky, the air began to distort and wave. Hurrying back to the group, Ash called, “Everyone, grab onto something that is nailed down or heavy!”

The air continue to distort and undulate. Then, it appeared to split apart in a burst of light. A large, humanoid-like creature strapped in heavy-looking armour appeared. Despite its features obscured by the armour and what looked like a helmet, the creature was vaguely feline-like, with two horns that resembled ears on its head, and a thick tail that tapered into a thin bulb at the end.

This unknown creature (Ash didn’t know if it was a Pokémon or not) swept its gaze over the stricken ship. Without any noise whatsoever, it turned its hands towards the hull of the Anne. A ball of crackling psychic energy formed between its digits and grew in size. When it reached the circumference of a bowling ball, the creature threw the ball straight at the ship. It exploded upon impact, taking out a good chunk of the suites and rooms along the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the ship.

On the pool deck, the shockwave from the explosion knocked everyone to the ground. The entire ship trembled and lurched, sending objects flying. Screams filled the air as the surviving passengers and crew scrambled for any semblance of safety as the Anne underwent her final death throes.

The armoured creature created another psychic energy ball, and threw it at the ship again. This time it hit the hull just above the waterline. When it exploded, a large hole was left behind. Water immediately began flooding into the ship, causing it to begin tilting slightly towards the starboard side.

More attacks came in quick succession. Several floors of rooms and suites were destroyed, and what appeared to be a Hyper Beam exacerbated the flooding of the ship. The Anne tilted even further, and several objects on the pool deck were beginning to slide towards the shattered windows and fall overboard.

Meanwhile, inside his submarine, Executive Proton watched the harrowing sight with twisted sadism. It was all going according to plan. Thousands of people were going to die tonight, and his squadrons have stolen countless Pokémon and innumerable valuables. The grunts were back in the safety of their submarines, ready to leave given the call. Literally all that was left to do was watch the ship sink beneath the waves, and retreat into the night. Proton could literally feel the promotion just within reach, he chuckled to himself.

Back on the pool deck, the group clung on for dear life. Helia held onto Flora, while Rykios did the same for Izuku. The green-haired man almost lost his grip on the young girl he was carrying after dodging an incoming pool chair, but Adira caught the girl in her arms, keeping the child safe by hovering in the air away from any sliding projectiles.

Ash, Luka and Brock, meanwhile, clutched onto a glass-panelled railing, leaning against the force of gravity.

“Ash, what do we do? Any minute now and the ship will completely capsize!”

For the first time in his life, the raven-haired trainer was out of ideas. He knew it was impossible for any of his team to attacked the armoured creature. If it was strong enough to completely suppress Gallade’s psychic powers, what chance did Luka or any of his team members have against it?

The creature readied another Hyper Beam, and blasted it at the hull again. More water flooded in, and the ship tilted further. The waves were lapping against the lower decks, the entire superstructure groaning under its own weight. The final minutes were now ticking away, and it really felt as if nothing but death awaited the fates of thousands of people still trapped on the ship.

Ash, for his part, did not fear death. But he didn’t want it to come so early, when he only just started out on his journey. He didn’t want to lose his team and Brock, never get to see Professor Oak, his uncle or mother ever again, never get to see the world because of the cruel, evil actions of the tainted and corrupted.

But what could he do? Nothing but divine intervention could save them from their untimely ends.

In all of the chaos, unbeknownst to Ash and anyone, his cape fluttered back from a wind that came out of nowhere. The Rainbow Feather in the middle, one of the three gifted by Ho-Oh back in Pewter City, began to glow. Suddenly, Ash seemed to dissociate, becoming almost catatonic.

“A-Ash?”

Seemingly ignoring Brock, Ash moved away from the railing. Despite the ship now leaning at a twenty-degree angle, Ash walked towards the middle of the pool deck completely unaffected. The others watched in confusion, still struggling to maintain their grip, as Ash looked up to the heavens, spread his arms out, and opened his mouth.

“AH-AH-AH-AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

* * *

Executive Proton looked up sharply.

“Grunt!”

“Yes, Executive?”

“What is that noise? Go and investigate it now!”

“Right away, sir!”

* * *

_“For those who are just tuning into Channel Kanto Nine Evening News, the luxury cruise liner S.S. Anne is under attack by hostile forces that some claim is from Team Rocket, the infamous criminal organisation that until tonight, has remained underground and out of sight from both the general populace and the League…”_

Inside the counsel room of the Indigo Plateau, Champion Lance and his Elite Four monitored the situation with growing anxiety and grimness. Through constant updates from the G-Men agents who arrived at the scene, they confirmed that it was Team Rocket who staged the attack.

Lance bit the inside of cheek in despair. There was still no word about his nephew or Brock, no indication of whether they were still alive or dead. All kinds of catastrophic scenarios played in his head, each worse than the other as more bad news came in from the site. The Team Rocket submarines had spotted the G-Men helicopters and took hostile action against them. Two of the seven helicopters were shot down, crashing into the ocean and almost certainly killing everyone in them. The news feed captured these horrific moments in real time, worsening the horror in not just the Indigo counsel room, but on television screens playing to a horrified populace throughout the region.

The Champion sweated bullets. No doubt, his sister would be watching the disaster unfold on her television screen in Pallet Town by now. How she hasn’t called him to tear him apart for leaving her only son on board yet, Lance didn’t know. But he knew very well that it was only a matter of time.

And then there was that unknown armoured creature. Just what in Arceus’ holy name was that? Was it a Pokémon? Some kind of machine or robot? Lance didn’t know. All he could do was order the agents to attack this creature with all the fire-power they had.

Instead, all he got for that decision was three of the remaining five helicopters becoming trapped in what looked like a sphere made up of psychic energy. The creature clenched its fist, and the three helicopters were literally crushed into a ball of tangled metal parts. The screams of the agents inside echoed for everyone to hear, swiftly cut off within seconds. The sphere then disappeared. The ball plummeted into the ocean with a loud splash, before disappearing from sight.

Throughout the region, people balked at the sheer brutality committed.

“Fuck…what kind of creature is that?” Bruno muttered.

Lance felt the horror eat away at his stomach. He had indirectly caused the deaths of dozens of agents in one fell swoop.

How was he going to answer for that?

_“The situation is dire, Gerald,”_ the reporter continued, _“If even the League forces can’t stand a chance against that creature, can anything stop it? Or are we going to witness the deaths of thousands of innocents tonight? Gerald, at this point it may not be safe for even the news helicopter to remain here. I’m ending the correspondence now and returning to you in the studio-”_

Then, out of nowhere, came the melodic voice.

_“AH-AH-AH-AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”_

Lance and the Elite Four jumped, as did the reporter and her camera-person.

On screen, the anchor asked, _“Melissa, what was that?”_

_“I’m not entirely sure, Gerald,”_ Melissa steadied herself, _“It sounded human, but we’re miles off the ground. No human should be able to cry that loudly…”_

She turned towards the ship, and gasped, _“Greg, quick! Get the camera onto the pool deck now!”_

The live feed shifted towards the tilting pool deck, where several individuals could be seen clinging onto objects and railings for dear life. All except for one, who was wearing a cape.

“Lance, is that your nephew?!” Karen spluttered.

* * *

Many miles away from the stricken ship, deep within the mountains of north-eastern Johto, a massive avian slept peacefully, undisturbed since his last venture into the outside world at Pewter City over in neighbouring Kanto.

That slumber, however, would come to an abrupt end.

“AH-AH-AH-AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

His eyes opened, ruby-red irises glowing in the darkness of the cavern that was his home. The avian slowly rose from his rest, hearing the song that sought his assistance. A plea for help, to save the innocent from the hands of evil.

Said ruby eyes flashed.

* * *

Also many miles away, far up north in the Sinnoh region, stood an island that was once a prosperous ore mine, but has long since closed due to depleted reserves. Amidst the rocky, mountainous terrain, sat a young man and his Lucario on a ledge, deep in meditation. They remained as still as statues, impervious to the environment around them.

However, just like with the Legendary avian in far-off Johto, their silent calm was interrupted by the same haunting, melodic call.

“AH-AH-AH-AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

The man’s eyes snapped open, as did his Lucario.

“My friend, did you hear that?”

_“Yes, master,”_ the Lucario replied telepathically, _“Loud and clear.”_

The man carefully stood up, staring out into the distance from where the call came from. Lucario joined his side.

“Are you feeling this? This unusual rise in the temporal energy. You don't suppose?”

_“A sudden rise in the world’s Aura? It is very possible, master.”_

“If that is the case,” the man’s expression became serious, but at the same time, slightly hopeful, “We might be witnessing the birth of an Aura-adept somewhere.”

* * *

In the open waters off Kanto’s eastern coast, the very air shook with Ash’s otherworldly call, so much so that even the armoured creature stopped its attacks.

Just as it ended, the glowing Rainbow Feather peeled off the hem of his cape, and began swirling around him in a trail of sparkling lights. Ash’s body glowed an ethereal golden aura, beams of rainbow light bursting out in all directions. His expression was tight and scrunched up, as the power of the legendary avian and his Aura came together in a volatile mix that rapidly gained strength with each passing second. The feather continued encircling around him, going faster and faster until it was a blur of rainbow. When the rise of energy reached critical mass, his voice echoed with another melodic call.

**“AH-AH-AH-AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”**

On that last, climatic note, Ash was propelled up from the deck right into the heavens. Everyone – his group, Team Rocket, the news helicopter, his uncle, the Elite Four, and the citizens of Kanto – gasped in shock as Ash seemed to turn into a comet the higher he went. At the same time, very few noticed the golden twinkle that shone against the night sky.

Shrouded by the dazzling light, Ash gasped loudly. His cape split into two, each part further into three sections, before rising up to his upper back in the shape of the forewings of a butterfly. For a brief second, hindwings with curled spurs at the end formed too, but quickly disappeared in a burst of light.

At the same time, the golden twinkle grew larger as it rushed towards the comet. The two collided, resulting in a loud explosion and a firework of blinding sparks. A deafening, majestic roar shook the world, as Ho-Oh made his dramatic entrance into the attack, wings spread out to full span in a show of grandeur and intimidation.

Hovering before the Lord of the Skies, Ash came into view. His long hair was undone, flowing freely down to his waist. On his face, veins of glowing blue light ran up from his neck, over his cheeks and eyes, and converging at the middle of his forehead. His honey-whiskey irises were shrouded by the same blue light, but perhaps the greatest feature was the pair of blue wings, the ends of each section adorned by a sparkling sapphire gem and two small blue spheres attached to the bottom section.

In his submarine, Proton stared at the majestic sight in disbelief.

“Holy shit…it’s Ho-Oh…”

The cogs in his mind turned. Grabbing a communicator that was wired to all the other submarines, Proton commanded, “Engage the Pokéball launchers! I want that motherfucking bird right now!”

The grunts in the submarines immediately followed the order. The launchers were set up, and on cue, began firing all manner of Pokéballs straight towards Ho-Oh.

Despite that, the Lord of the Skies remained unfazed. With one mighty flap of his wings, a gust of wind of typhoon-strength spread in all directions, knocking the Pokéballs away before they were even closed half the distance. Team Rocket continued firing more, right until their inventories were depleted.

With the inconvenience out of the way, Ho-Oh focused on what he was supposed to do. Roaring loudly, countless golden and silver spheres of immense sizes shot out of his wings and hurtled towards the capsizing ship. One of the golden spheres headed for the pool deck. Brock, Ash’s team, and the others were swallowed up by the sphere, and carried away safely. The other golden spheres phased into the starboard side of the ship, and came out of the port side carrying all of the surviving passengers and crew. The silver spheres did a similar job, though their purpose was far more grim – removing the civilian dead from the ship and carrying them to safety.

Seeing this, Proton growled into the communicator, “Fire at those spheres! Don’t let them get away!”

Automated weapons were engaged on all the submarines, and a hailstorm of bullets were fired at the retreating spheres. The survivors, however, had nothing to fear. The bullets simply bounced off the spheres harmlessly, allowing them to escape beyond reach in the direction towards Lavender Town.

The innocents were safe. Now it was time for punishment.

Ho-Oh hovered down to face the armoured creature. For the first time in living memory, the Lord of the Skies spoke.

**_“Filthy scum, abominable blight upon the world. You serve a monster without a heart and soul. You’ve tortured and killed innocent beings for his sick pleasure. Transgressions will be repaid ten-fold, and you will bear the brunt of justice!”_ **

****

Ho-Oh roared, and fired a Fire Blast attack at the armoured creature, which retaliated with what Ash recognised as a Psystrike. The two behemoths duked it out, trading and volleying attacks at one another to make the other submit to their power. The battle quickly turned into a stalemate, with neither side backing down. Fire met psychic energy with explosive results, churning the water and exacerbating the flooding of the Anne.

Watching the mighty ship continued to list onto her starboard side, Ash felt Ho-Oh speak to him in his mind.

**_“Dear child, the time has come for righteous vengeance to be executed against those who hurt you and so many others. Do what you will, but spare the leader’s vessel. We need him to return to his master with his tail in between his legs.”_ **

****

Ash nodded. As Ho-Oh continued to battle the armoured creature, he turned towards the submarines surrounding the sinking Anne. Throwing his hands out, tendrils of Aura shot towards the submarines, save for the one Proton was on, and punctured through the metal hulls. Ash pulled, and twenty-seven submarines, each weighing multiple tonnes, were literally dragged out of the water into the sky towards him.

With an impassive look, Ash took hold of the tendrils, and literally threw the submarines at one another like yo-yos. Explosions rocked the air as the underwater vessels collided with each other. Pieces of metal and other shrapnel rained down like hailstones, some onto the sinking Anne and others directly hitting the waves. Many of the seven hundred and fifty Rocket grunts inside the submarines died from the explosions or other trauma-induced injuries, while a few were thrown out of the submarines when they blew apart. Unfortunately, since the carnage was taking place high up in the air, those lucky few died as soon as their bodies hit the water. In the end, none survived.

Watching the destruction unfold before his very eyes, Proton very nearly stopped himself from vomiting. The remaining grunts in his submarine bewailed the loss of their comrades, and most begged him to recall their weapon and get out of here before they were targeted next.

Barely keeping the nausea from breaching, Proton made the decision, “Recall the weapon, and retreat!”

The armoured creature was pulled back into the sole remaining submarine, before it dived back into the water and disappeared from sight. With the threats gone, Ho-Oh flew back up to join Ash, just as a loud noise reverberated through the ocean.

While Legendary avian and teen were cleaning up the taint, the S.S. Anne continued to sink. With most of her hull flooded, her descent came swift. Rolling over onto her starboard side with a metallic groan, the Anne completely capsized. The remainder of her hull flooded quickly, and within a minute, amidst churning water and bursts of vapour, the stern of the Anne slipped beneath the waves, joining the destroyed submarines and helicopters in a watery grave.

Ho-Oh turned to Ash, **_“You did wonderfully, dear child.”_**

****

Ash would not respond, as exhaustion quickly overcame him. His wings disappeared in a flash of sparkles, and gravity regained its hold. Ho-Oh refused to let Ash become another victim, swooping down and catching the teen on his back. With his charge safe, Ho-Oh took off in the direction of Lavender Town, preparing for the fallout that was to come.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy.
> 
> This chapter was a straight-up doozy.
> 
> There is quite a bit to cover today, so let's get started, yeah?
> 
> In the ending notes for the previous chapter, I did say that shit was going to hit the fan, and I really hope that I delivered. On the one hand, I want this story (at least for now) to take a darker edge than the anime, but at the same time, the nature of this story as a whole cannot be too dark. It was a bit of a balancing act, trying to find a middle ground in achieving both action and death at the same time.
> 
> A new counter has been created for Ash's escapades, namely his body count. Technically, it started back in the Viridian chapter when Ash brutally murdered Ekans and Koffing, but this chapter is when the numbers start coming in. So as of this chapter, the counter is at 790 corpses.
> 
> Also, this is the chapter where both Ash gets his power upgrade, and where I dropped a few references.
> 
> Firstly, Ash's call for Ho-Oh is inspired from the Siren's call to Elsa in Frozen 2, and secondly, Ash's wings are taken from Tecna's Season 3 Enchantix wings from Winx Club. The scene where Ash's wings materialise is based on her transformation sequence in the show, where for a brief second, the silhouette of her prototype wings appear before only the forewings actually materialise. Tecna's Enchantix form is actually my favourite of all the Winx girls, but I didn't like the incomplete look from Season 3, which was why I preferred Season 8's incarnation since they brought back the hind wings. Ironically, that is the only thing I liked about Season 8, to be honest.
> 
> Now some of you might ask, given what I just said, why didn't I give Ash the hind wings straight away? There is a reason for that, which I will get into in the next chapter.
> 
> Also, mandatory disclaimer: I do not own anything from Frozen 2 or Winx Club. They belong to Disney and Iginio Straffi respectively. 
> 
> So that brings me to the end of today's chapter. Once again, the standard protocol applies - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> With the start of 2021 on tenterhooks, I pray that there will be improvements, and that people would actually do the right thing for the sake of the world.
> 
> Take care.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	17. Kanto 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout.

All over the region, people stared, shell-shocked, at the sudden turning of the tables and the destruction that followed. Just when it seemed that all hope was lost, Ho-Oh intervened, summoned by the haunting call of a caped teenager who joined the Lord of the Skies in air, blue wings fluttering, against the biggest terrorist organisation in Kanto and their secret weapon that was the armoured creature. Ho-Oh had the survivors and dead of the Anne drifting away to safety in spheres, and drove off the creature, while the teenager made brutal, efficient work in purging the terrorists and sending them into a watery grave.

Nowhere was this stupor expressed better than in the counsel room at the Indigo Plateau.

“What…the fuck just happened?” Lorelei broke the silence, at the same time breaking her usual cool, collected demeanour.

Lance was beside himself with shock and emotion, “He did it…my nephew really did it. He summoned the Lord of the Skies.”

This was apparently news to Lorelei and Karen, who spun on their superior with incredulous, disbelieving looks. But before either one of them could begin interrogating Lance, the phone on the round table began ringing.

The Champion was quick to pick it up, “Hello?”

_“Is that you, Champion Lance?”_

“Detective Morrigan, give me a status update.”

_“We’re following the gold and silver spheres,”_ the detective replied, _“From our current coordinates, they appear to be heading towards Lavender Town. Champion, I don’t know how many people are in those spheres, but whatever Ho-Oh did, it seems that everyone was removed from the Anne.”_

“Alive?” asked Lance.

_“It’s…hard to tell,”_ Morrigan admitted, _“I can see some movement in the gold spheres, but the silver ones…”_

It didn’t need to be said about what the detective was thinking about those in the silver spheres for Lance to get it.

“Keep following the spheres,” the Champion instructed, “When you reach Lavender Town, have the agents tend to the wounded. I’ll be there shortly.”

_“Yes, Champion.”_

The line was cut after that.

Lance turned to his Elite Four, “Lorelei, I need you to contact the Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny in Lavender Town. Let them know that we have possibly thousands of people and Pokémon headed their way, some of them injured and dead. Bruno and Karen, get in contact with the other Pokémon Centres and hospitals in the region. If there are many casualties, we will need the infrastructure to house the seriously injured and dead if Lavender Town is unable to handle the numbers. Agatha, you will come with me to Lavender. I need you to help with the transportation of any casualties to the hospitals should the need arise. Does everyone understand what they need to do?” The Elite Four all nodded, “Good. There is no time to waste, let’s get moving!”

* * *

Brock had seriously thought they were done for.

With the Anne tilting even further, objects that weren’t nailed down were sliding across the deck towards the starboard side. The increasing weight pressing against the windows caused them to shatter, sending the piling objects tumbling off the deck straight into the ocean below.

As he and his fellow passengers clung on for dear life, Brock prayed to whatever deity that was up there to save them from an untimely fate.

Then, Ash moved away from the safety of the railing. Followed by the loud, melodious call.

What happened next was almost too unbelievable to even fathom.

Ash shot up into the air like a bullet, and Ho-Oh appeared in a burst of light and noise. This was the second time Brock had seen the legendary avian, but it was no less breath-taking than the first encounter.

A barrage of Pokéballs shot towards Ho-Oh, but the Lord of the Skies simply blasted them away with a strong gust of wind. Then, the avian whipped his wings towards the foundering ship, materialising a storm of gold and silver spheres.

Brock had barely made a noise of surprise when the spheres floated towards the ship, one of the gold spheres coming right to them. As it swept across the pool deck, Brock and the others found themselves sucked into the sphere, whereupon it left the ship behind and floated away.

Despite the golden colour, Brock could still see what was happening outside. Similar spheres were phasing out of the ship, each carrying groups of survivors and their Pokémon as they floated away from the stricken vessel.

“W-What is this?” Flora asked, pressing her hands against the sphere.

“Some kind of transport capsule?” Musa guessed.

“More importantly, where are we going?” asked Izuku.

Before anyone could answer, what sounded like hailstones or small projectiles began hitting the sphere. The group huddled together, but it seemed that whatever it was, they were just bouncing off the surface, and it wasn’t long before the deluge stopped.

“What was that?” asked Musa.

“They sounded like bullets,” Rykios remarked, “Someone was trying to stop us from getting away.”

“At least we’re safe,” Helia replied, “Whatever this sphere is made of, it was strong enough to withstand against the attack.”

The mood relaxed significantly, until Flora realised, “Wait, what about Ash?! We’ve left him behind!”

“Can we turn this thing around?” asked Musa, looking about desperately.

“I don’t think so,” Brock replied grimly. As much as he was concerned about his companion, he knew there was nothing they could do. “But Ash is with Ho-Oh. If anything, Ho-Oh will keep him safe against Team Rocket. We must have faith.”

Their worry remained, but the group assented. Nothing could be done, as the sphere took them away from the Anne and Ash.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Izuku asked again, as Adira handed the young girl back to him.

“I don’t know,” Brock replied, “But since Ho-Oh got us off the Anne, I’m certain we’re heading back to the mainland at least.”

He was proven right ten minutes later, when the ocean beneath them turned into forested land. Then, after about another five minutes, Flora gasped, “Look! Over there! I see lights!”

It was a blessed relief for the survivors, as civilisation approached with open arms. Through the clear surface, Brock could easily see a towering structure on a hill overlooking a large town. There was no doubt, they were approaching Lavender Town.

“Hey, we’re descending!” Musa realised.

As the town grew closer, the spheres began a slow descent towards the open space in front of the Pokémon Centre. The group could see the local residents on the streets, pointing at their vessels as the ground approached.

The fact that there were multiple Nurse Joys and an Officer Jenny assembled outside the Pokémon Centre did not make Brock’s heart implode. His companion was still fighting Team Rocket, and even with Ho-Oh’s assistance, Brock couldn’t stop the worry from eating away at his stomach. So even with the loves of his life literally getting closer, Brock did not lose his marbles as he normally would.

The sphere carrying the group touched down onto the ground, shimmered, and disappeared in a burst of sparkles. As more spheres came, the Nurse Joys and the assembled G-Men agents dispersed and began tending to the survivors after they were released. One of the Joys came to the group.

“Any injuries?”

Rykios and Izuku stepped forward, the latter explaining, “We got roughed up on the Anne. And this girl was separated from her parents. We don’t know where they are, or if they are even alive.”

Joy nodded, “Follow me, we’ll get you sorted out.”

As the couple walked off with the Pokémon nurse, the remaining members of the group milled around, waiting for something to happen. As more people arrived, the open space became increasingly crowded. There were scenes of immense joy as family and friends were reunited, but there were also those of fear and desperation, as more tried to find their separated loved ones. The tense atmosphere became even more distraught, as the silver spheres came floating in.

One by one, the spheres touched down, and disappeared in little wisps of light, as the corpses of those who didn’t survive the attack were laid out in neat rows. Whatever joy there was in the air quickly became overshadowed as survivors found their dead loved ones, and mourned their loss with a great outpouring of grief.

Helia pulled Flora close, both attempting to shield her from the sights of death, and to comfort her. In the brief time they had known one another, Helia had learnt that Flora was a very empathetic person, and her heart cried for those who were suffering and in pain. There was only so much he could do, but by Arceus, he was going to do what he could.

Musa laid witness to the anguish with sombre silence. She sympathised with the bereaved, she had gone through a similar experience, after all. But even experience didn’t often mean a numbing to the pain. Luka tried his best to comfort her, something Musa appreciated, but at the same time only went so far.

Brock continuously checked the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of his companion or Ho-Oh. Instead, a sudden babble of surprised noise got his attention. Then, came a familiar voice.

“Brock!”

The Gym leader turned around. Running towards him and dodging all attempts by survivors to demand answers, was Lance.

“Lance!”

“Thank Arceus you’re safe!” the Champion sagged in relief, “I came as fast as I could.”

“What are you doing here?”  
  


“I’m coordinating efforts to have the wounded taken to hospitals around the region and helping the survivors,” Lance explained, “Where is Ash? Is he with you?”

Brock bit his lip uncertainly, “No…no he’s not with us. Last I saw him, Ash was still with Ho-Oh fighting Team Rocket.”

Lance cursed under his breath. Brock caught the Champion muttering something about his sister going to castrate him, when startled shouts got their attentions.

A golden twinkle briefly flashed in the night sky, before what appeared to be a comet came racing down towards the ground. The gathered survivors scattered, as the comet exploded with a blinding burst of light. Ho-Oh materialised, releasing a loud roar that shook the ground and surrounding buildings. Lance, Brock, and the rest of Ash’s team and the group pushed through the crowds to get closer, gracing the Lord of the Skies with their presence.

Ho-Oh laid fiery eyes upon the group, he gathered crowd watching with bated breath. On the legendary avian’s back, a soft light glowed. A small, sparkling gold sphere lifted off, and hovered down in front of Lance and Brock. The sphere vanished in a twinkling of sparkles, revealing an unconscious caped teen.

“Ash!”

Brock and Lance surged forward, as did Ash’s team. Luka threw himself onto his trainer, overwhelmed with relief that he was safe. Brock crouched down, examining his companion for any injuries. Ash’s tanned skin was pale and clammy, but it didn’t appear that the teen was physically harmed.

**“Champion, and friends of the Chosen,”** Ho-Oh’s otherworldly voice echoed, **“He is unharmed. All he needs is plenty of rest. Recovery will prevail with time. Make sure he does not stress himself when he awakens.”**

Lance barely had the time to nod, when the Legendary avian flapped his massive wings, and took off into the sky, disappearing with a final golden twinkle against the inky darkness.

Utter silence prevailed for exactly three seconds, before Brock’s mind started working again, “Nurse Joy! Quick! Ash needs help!”

* * *

“Executive Proton, tell me in no uncertain terms, why have you come back with only one submarine of grunts and no stolen Pokémon?”

The cyan-haired man barely repressed the shudder that shot down his spine. It was dark in the office, save for the dim light that came from a laptop screen. It barely cast any illumination on the imposing man sitting before him, mostly obscuring any discernible features. Even if Proton couldn’t exactly see what the man looked like, that mattered none at all. It was the fact he was kneeling before the man, about to explain the failure of the entire operation that should have gotten him his promotion.

Few things ever scared Proton, and this was one of them.

“I-It was going a-according to plan, Boss,” the pitiful Executive stammered, “The g-grunts were able to infiltrate the ship and kill as many people as they could.”

“Oh really?” the ‘Boss’ sneered, leaning forward, “Then tell me, why am I getting reports that almost eight hundred of those good-for-nothing grunts ended up dead at the bottom of the ocean, as well as twenty-seven submarines literally blown to pieces?”

“S-Some little twerp managed to summon Ho-Oh!” Proton desperately explained, “B-Boss, you have got to believe me. We tried to capture the bird, but it just batted our Pokéballs away like it was nothing! It created some weird spheres that took away the people from the Anne, and when we tried to get our weapon to fight it, Ho-Oh fought it to a stalemate!”

“And the grunts?”

“That twerp who summoned Ho-Oh? He suddenly sprouted wings of his own, and he created tendrils of blue energy that somehow was able to literally drag the submarines out of the water! Boss, this twerp is not human. He started throwing the submarines at one another like yo-yos! The only reason why I survived was because he didn’t take my submarine with the others!”

The shadowed man said nothing, going back to his laptop and scrolling through a few things. The silence was intentionally dragged longer, prolonging Proton’s mental anguish as he awaited his fate.

What felt like an eternity later (in actuality only three minutes), the man turned back to his executive, “Your story checks out, so I cannot penalise you for lying.” Proton almost breathed a sigh of relief when his boss continued, “However, you are still responsible for the failed operation. I cannot let that pass. Guards, take him to the chamber.”

Proton gritted his teeth, trying desperately not to cry out, beg for forgiveness, to do _something_ as the shadowed guards grabbed his arms in their iron grips and dragged him out of the office. It would have done nothing for him. Showing weakness before the Boss would only worsen the hell that awaited those who were sentenced to the chamber.

The pain that was to come would be unimaginable, as if he had been dipped into the Distortion World and left to fester for hundreds of years. But, Proton decided, he will endure it.

He’ll endure the torture, to show the Boss that he was trustworthy, that it wasn’t a mistake for the man to appoint him as an Executive. He would come out of this stronger, with a deeper thirst for vengeance against that little twerp who ruined the entire operation for him. Oh yes, he will hunt down that little bastard and teach him a lesson he will never forget.

As Proton was dragged away, the Boss returned to his laptop. A news article was on screen. Just below the headline, was a picture of Ash, his wings at full length, graced by Ho-Oh behind him. Obscured by the shadows, the man’s lips thinned.

‘Who are you, Ash Ketchum? You are clearly a threat, but are you also an opportunity too?’

* * *

Back in Lavender Town, Ash was wheeled into the Pokémon Centre’s observation room for a precautionary evaluation, with Luka by his side. Brock, Lance and the rest of the group were made to wait in the lobby outside.

The atmosphere was far less tense than it had been previously. Everyone was reassured that Ash would be fine, but seeing him unconscious and pale left a residual worry in their hearts. Yet, there was nothing they could do, until Nurse Joy returned with further word.

Flora, Helia and Musa tried to pass the time by engaging in small talk, while Brock and Lance remained silent.

Then, the doors of the Pokémon Centre opened, and footsteps came running in.

“Ash! Where is he?! Where is my baby?!”

Lance winced, “D-Delia…”

A frantic Delia Ketchum, tailed by a serious-looking Professor Oak, beelined towards the Champion. And just like any concerned parent would do, she went up to her older brother and slapped him across the cheek.

Flora made a noise of horror, while the others flinched from the unexpected assault.

“Lance Wataru, how could you?! How could you leave my only son to face literal terrorists?! He could have been one of those corpses lined outside the Pokémon Centre! What kind of uncle are you?! How could you live with yourself if your only nephew died?!”

Brock was unsure whether to intervene, but one look from the region’s most revered researcher told him to stay out of it. It was clear that Delia was releasing all the pent-up stress from seeing the entire debacle unfold on live television. For the sake of her well-being, she needed to do this.

The Champion of Kanto and Johto had the grace to look ashamed and apologetic, “I’m really, really sorry, Delia. You have every right to be furious with me. I will admit, full-front, that this was a grave mistake on my end. I don’t expect your forgiveness anytime soon, and I will carry this burden to my dying breath.”

Despite that, Delia still didn’t look satisfied. It was then that Flora decided to say something, “Um…are you perhaps Ash’s mother?”

The older woman turned to the tanned brunette, her expression softening immediately, “Yes, I am, my dear. Who are you, by any chance?”

“My name is Flora Linpha, and I’m from Hoenn. I was one of the people that Ash saved on the Anne. Ho-Oh told us that Ash will be fine. He just needs plenty of rest. More importantly, he is alive, and will be back on his feet in no time.”

Delia said nothing, but the air around her became noticeably less confrontational. It was at the same time that Nurse Joy reappeared in the lobby.

“Champion Lance?”

The man took the chance to break away from the group and head over to the Pokémon nurse. Delia immediately followed, not exactly done with her older brother just yet and as Ash’s mother. Brock and Professor Oak took up the tail.

“How is he, Nurse Joy?”

“You need not worry, Champion, your nephew is just fine, no injuries whatsoever,” the nurse turned to Delia, “Are you, perhaps, Ash’s mother?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Just checking,” Joy returned back to Lance, “He is still unconscious, but I can authorise visitation right now, though…” she looked back to see Flora, Helia and Musa approach, “only family and close friends for now. I don’t want too many people crowding the room.”

“Understood,” Lance nodded, glancing back at the trio in a silent request to wait, “Take us to his room, please.”

* * *

The room was far from a hospital ward, but the distinct smell of disinfectant made no mistake of its purpose. On a single-occupancy bed, tucked up and attached to a heart-rate monitor, Ash laid unconscious, showing no immediate sign of rousing just yet. His cape hung from a clothes rack at the other end of the room.

Luka tenderly ran a paw down his trainer’s cheek. Through the efforts of Nurse Joy and her Chansey, Ash’s skin was no longer clammy, though it still had a slightly pale tint as his body recovered from the exertion of his Aura usage.

The events on the Anne were still fresh in the Riolu’s mind. The Team Rocket attack, that mysterious armoured creature that tore the ship apart, his trainer somehow summoning the Lord of the Skies and becoming an Aura-adept, all in the space of a few hours.

It made him proud of Ash, extremely curious, and a tad bit concerned.

The sound of the door opening broke Luka out of his musings. He stood up, as Nurse Joy led his trainer’s family and friends into the room.

“I’ll leave you all alone. Call me if you need any assistance,” said the nurse, as she made a quiet exit.

Delia and Lance immediately rushed to Ash’s side. Luka watched his trainer’s mother literally sag in relief, kneeling down and resting her forehead against the mattress, her hand gripping Ash’s own. Lance had an unreadable look to his face, as if he was trying to get his nephew to regain consciousness through sheer mental will alone.

Deciding to give the adults some time with his trainer, Luka hopped off the bed and made his way over to Brock and Professor Oak.

“Luka…do you have any clue on when Ash will wake up?”

The Riolu shook his head. Going up to the Gym leader, Luka pressed a paw against the man’s leg, activating the mental link to allow for telepathic communication, _“I don’t know. The only thing that is certain is that Ash will wake up, eventually.”_

Brock pursed his lips, but nodded in understanding.

Now it was Professor Oak’s turn to ask what was on his mind, “Luka, Delia and I were watching the live news coverage before flying over here. What was up with Ash? How did he sprout those wings and destroy those submarines? Furthermore, how on earth did he summon Ho-Oh?”

Hearing the researcher’s queries, Lance came forward, “I can answer your last question, but I have to leave it to Luka to answer the rest.” Delia got up, and joined the small group, “First, I need everyone’s promise that this information does not leave this room. Can I have that?” When all three humans nodded, Lance continued, “This information is only made privy to the reigning Champion and their Elite Four once they take office by their predecessors. The previous Champion told me that if an individual is special for a reason that is not yet known to mortal men, a Legendary may approach them, and present them with a gift. Depending on the Legendary, this gift can vary. For Ho-Oh, it would be any number of his feathers. The unbelievable thing about these feathers is that not just their sheer beauty, but the ability they carry to summon the Lord of the Skies if the holder wants to.”

Dead silence followed.

“C-Come again?” Professor Oak spluttered.

“I am dead serious,” Lance reiterated, “Anyone who has one of Ho-Oh’s feathers in their presence can summon him through the feather, though the process of doing so was not revealed to me by my predecessor. I guess what happened tonight shows how it works though…” Lance glanced to the side, but quickly continued, “But anyway, I’m sure you remember the news some time ago that Ho-Oh appeared in Pewter City? The Lord of the Skies came to Ash, and gifted him three of his feathers. By that record, Ash can summon Ho-Oh another two more times.”

Both Delia and Professor Oak looked ready to keel over. Luckily, there were a couple of chairs that saved them from face-planting onto the floor.

“I understand how you feel,” said Lance, “Even I didn’t believe it when I first heard it. But tonight…really blew everyone’s minds.”

Brock eyed the dazed look in the two sitting adults, “I think I’ll go get a cup of tea for both of you. Anything you’d like?”

“Chamomile for me, please,” said Oak, while Delia gave no answer.

Brock left the room, and returned a few minutes later with a mug of chamomile and green tea, which he gave to Oak and Delia respectively. A few more minutes passed as the adults sipped their steaming-hot beverages. Once she found herself coherent enough, Delia spoke what was on her mind, “So what does this mean for Ash?”

“He is going to get a lot of attention from this, sis,” Lance replied truthfully, “Virtually everyone in the entire region watched as he summoned Ho-Oh, sprouted his wings, and decimated Team Rocket as if they were nothing but playthings. It is not far-fetched to say that Ash is going to be hounded by the media for Arceus knows how long. This entire debacle will make headlines for _weeks_ at least. In fact, if it weren’t for Officer Jenny and her deputies, the media would swarming into Lavender Town and quite possibly storming into the Pokémon Centre looking for Ash as I speak. And it is not just the media, whatever bastard that is running Team Rocket will have their eye on Ash. I don’t know how many grunts were in those twenty-seven submarines, but hundreds could have died by my estimates. The leader of Team Rocket is not going to take this sitting down.” Here, Lance grimaced, “In a flawed moment of hubris, I have painted a huge target on my nephew’s back. I don’t know if I can call myself his uncle after this.”

If Delia felt vindicated by her brother coming to terms with his mistake, she didn’t show it. She was far too worried about the dire truth behind Lance’s words. Her only son was now a target, between the vultures that was the media and that terrorist organisation that killed a still unknown number of innocent passengers and crew. She was conflicted, torn between her parental instincts of protecting her son from the evils of the world, and her rational thinking berating her for even considering the idea of keeping Ash away from his dreams. Yet there was no denying that once Ash wakes up and steps out into the world again, he is effectively a walking target. He will never get to enjoy privacy ever again, furthermore his life will be in jeopardy because of Team Rocket. What was she supposed to do?

Seeing the distress in her eyes, Luka decided it was time to take over. Concentrating on his Aura, the Riolu expanded his inner power out into the room, projecting his telepathic voice for all to hear.

_“Everyone, I believe there is a way forward.”_

Of the people inside, only Lance jumped, having never been on the receiving end of a telepathic communication before.

_“Fear not, Champion Lance. It’s just my telepathic connection projecting my inner voice. As I was saying, there is a way forward. I understand your logical concern and fear for Ash following this incident with Team Rocket. But Ash has emerged from this ordeal stronger and more powerful than ever before. He is now what we call an Aura-adept.”_

“Aura-adept?” Lance parroted in confusion.

“You mentioned something like that before…” Delia remarked.

_“An Aura-adept is the next level of ability and prowess for someone who can utilise Aura,”_ Luka explained, _“It is the precursor to becoming a full-fledged Aura Guardian. As far as I know, it usually takes a long time for an Aura trainee to become an Aura-adept, usually at least five years of constant, intensive training, maybe even more. I don’t know how Ash was able to become one after only two years, but I digress for now. Trainees, more often, become adepts when their Aura evolves, usually from a sudden huge usage of their power in one go. This is actually potentially dangerous, because the overuse of one’s Aura can literally kill the individual, because the sudden, complete depletion results in a void within the person’s body, leaving it unable to sustain itself.”_

A sense of unease descended upon the room. While the air had been filled with hope over the revelation of Ash becoming stronger, the bombshell that the trainer quite possibly came close to dying horrified the adults.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Professor Oak asked the next question that was on his mind, “And the wings?”

_“Another trait of becoming an Aura-adept. As the individual’s Aura has evolved and become stronger, it manifests as wings, a show of rising power and might. However, such power is still incomplete, and this is reflected in the wings. A full-fledged Aura Guardian will have a full set of wings, but an adept will only have forewings. The hind-wings will only manifest when an adept becomes a full guardian. Just for the record, I do not know exactly how an adept becomes a guardian, given how few of them existed throughout history.”_

The adults all glanced at one another.

“So…what do we do now?” asked Brock.

When no one answered after a few seconds, Luka decided to give his two cents, _“We wait for Ash to wake up. He is the centre of the coming fallout, and whose future will be impacted the greatest from this debacle. It is only right that we inform him, under no uncertain terms or sugar-coating, about what happened. He, and only he, will make the final decision on what he wants to do. This is his life that is forever changed, we can only be his pillars of support, nothing more or less.”_

The Riolu may have been only seventy centimetres in height and came up to the knees of most of room’s occupants, but the adults found themselves unable to argue. Luka’s telepathic voice left no room for compromise or negotiation. He was Ash’s bonded, and he would not let anyone influence or get in the way of his trainer’s desires. To go against Ash would mean righteous retribution from the young emanation Pokémon.

With that argument forcibly settled, everything rested on when Ash would wake up, though how long that would take, only Arceus knew.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have much to say this time round. It's late where I live, so I'm just going to end this here and leave you with the standard protocol - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Now, it is time for me to drag my ass to bed and get some sleep.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	18. Kanto 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash wakes up from his coma, and makes a decision that will significantly change what has yet to come.

Unlike the usual trope where the main character learns some life-changing knowledge or skill from a higher being or entity while unconscious in some weird dreamscape inside their mind, Ash experienced no such events when his consciousness began to return and his body stirred.

Sensation returned to his limbs, torso, neck and head. Strength followed, allowing Ash to slowly flicker his eyes open. He still felt weak and exhausted, but at least it wasn’t as if he was going through something akin to death warmed over.

With his eyelids raised, his vision slowly cleared up.

The first thing Ash registered was that he was in a room of some sort. There was a regular beeping noise somewhere nearby, and it was completely dark. With a bit of struggling and effort, Ash pushed himself up. Judging from the soft material beneath him, he was on a bed, and a few tugs of his left arm revealed that he was hooked up to something…was that a heart monitor?

An obvious question came to mind, where in the world was he?

_“Ash?”_

The teen almost jumped, but quickly calmed down at the familiar telepathic voice.

“Luka? Are you here?”

Ash felt something shift at the foot of the bed, at the same time as movement stirred from elsewhere in the room. Before he could even blink, Ash had the wind knocked out of him by a mass of bodies dogpiling him, the room echoing with Pokémon cries that were saturated with relief.

“Scy!” “Eev!” “Char!” “Poli!”

“Alright, alright!” Ash exclaimed over the din, “I’m glad that you’re here! But seriously, I can’t breathe!”

His team would not be calmed, until all of their stress pent up from the whole ordeal was completely released, which ultimately took five minutes of non-stop snuggling and licking (Arion and Agni) before they were convinced that this was no dream, that their trainer was truly awake. Only Absol did not partake in the coddling, choosing to stay behind and watch the scene unfold in silence.

Once the team had allowed Ash to breathe again, Luka came up to him, _“I’m so glad you’re awake, Ash. We were very worried about you.”_

“Worried? About what?”

_“You don’t remember?”_

Did he?

Ash tried to think back to what he could pull from his memories. Slowly, it came back to him. The S.S. Anne. The Team Rocket attack. Guiding Brock and the others towards the pool deck. The armoured creature attacking the ship, causing it to tilt towards the water. Holding on for dear life as the ship continued to tilt. Suddenly going catatonic, the melodic call, everything whiting out. Loud noises, followed by darkness and the feeling of falling.

“The Anne…”

Ash turned to his starter frantically, “Luka, Brock and everyone else, did they manage to escape?”

_“Yes Ash, Brock and the others are safe, all thanks to you and Ho-Oh, actually.”_

“Ho-Oh? H-How…?”

_“I will explain everything to you,”_ Luka reassured, _“But can you spare me a quick moment to notify Nurse Joy that you have regained consciousness first? Your mum, uncle and Professor Oak are also here too.”_

“They are?”

_“Yes, they came as soon as you sent Team Rocket running off.”_

Ash wasn’t sure how to form a response to that. He actually sent Team Rocket running? Just what did he do on the Anne that made the biggest and feared terrorist organisation in Kanto flee in terror?

Taking his trainer’s silence as his cue, Luka hopped off the bed and left the room. A few minutes later, he returned with Nurse Joy and her Chansey, the latter pushing a tray. Nurse Joy turned on the lights, snapping Ash out of his thinking.

“It’s good to see you’re conscious, Mr. Ketchum,” the Pokémon nurse smiled warmly, “How are you feeling right now?”

“Not too bad…I guess?”

“That’s good to hear,” Joy’s smile widened a little, “Now, I’m sure you must be hungry, so I had a bowl of soup and some Mago berry juice prepared for you.”

“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” Ash replied, as Chansey rolled the tray to his bedside.

“No trouble at all, Mr. Ketchum. Is there anything else that you need?”

“Um…how long was I unconscious for?” Ash asked, shifting his position to face the tray.

“Nearing twenty-four hours, actually,” Joy replied, “It’s currently quarter to four in the morning, so your family and friends are still sleeping. I’ll let them know that you have regained consciousness when they wake up.”

Ash nodded, and seeing that her business had concluded for now, Joy took her leave, with Chansey following close behind. Luka climbed back up onto the bed, _“You should eat, Ash. You need nourishment after a whole day being unconscious.”_

The grumbling in Ash’s stomach proved the Riolu’s point. The teen picked up the spoon and took a few sips of the soup, before turning back to his partner, “Luka, can you tell me everything?”

And the Riolu did.

It took more than an hour for Luka to explain everything in detail, including the new information that came up while Ash was unconscious. With the soup and juice finished and pushed to one side, Ash asked whatever question came to mind, and Luka patiently answered each and every one. He understood his trainer’s confusion, a lot had happened when he summoned Ho-Oh to the sinking Anne, and he wanted to be extremely straightforward with his trainer. No sugar-coating whatsoever.

By the end of it, Ash’s head was spinning. Seeing the dazed look in the teen’s eyes, Luka gently guided his trainer back onto the bed, _“I know it is a lot to process. Why don’t you get some rest, and think about it further when you wake up?”_

Ash glanced at the rest of his team, each of them nodding in agreement with the Riolu’s suggestion. Taking heed, Ash settled back into the covers, while Adira went to switch off the lights. With the room dark again, the occupants tried to go back to sleep.

It would take Ash much longer to fall back into darkness. Even as his team drifted off to dreamland, the teen stayed very much awake, his internal thoughts running wild like a herd of rampaging Tauros.

‘So I’m an Aura-adept now, but I have a huge target painted on my back. Team Rocket killed over five hundred passengers and crew, but I killed almost eight hundred grunts. The media is going to hound me, and Team Rocket has their sights on me. Luka said it’s my choice on what I want to do. But…what _do_ I want to do?’

Luka had told him, under no uncertain terms, that his decision was final. Not him, his uncle Lance, or his mother, was going to make that decision for him.

‘I can easily take on any grunts that try to accost me, but what if I run into one of those Executives? Or even worse…the leader of Team Rocket themselves, whoever they are?’

Ash shifted onto his side, gazing at his sleeping team spread around the room, ‘I don’t want to stop my dream, or stop journeying altogether. But my team…are they willing to stick with me? Will they stay even if they know they will be in danger if they follow me?’

A moment of silence passed.

‘When I wake up, I’ll ask them earnestly.’

* * *

Ash did manage to get some sleep, feeling much better when his natural body-clock woke him up about four hours later.

The window next to the bed had the curtains drawn apart, letting in the early-morning sunlight into the room. Luka was still sleeping at the foot of the bed, as was the rest of his team around the room.

Ash shifted over to his starter, and gently shook him, “Luka, can you wake up?”

The Riolu stirred, before yawning loudly. Luka sat up, rubbed his eyes, and turned to his trainer, _“Good morning, Ash. Did you sleep well?”_

“I feel much better now, Luka,” the teen replied, “Can I trouble you to wake the others up? I need to ask them something important.”

Luka nodded. He hopped off the bed, and went around shaking the rest of the team to rouse them from their slumber. It took about five minutes, as some were a bit more stubborn, but eventually everyone was awake.

“Good morning, team,” said Ash.

A chorus of calls replied back.

“There is something important I need to speak with you about,” Ash continued, “Can you all gather around me?”

His team quickly came closer, including Absol, who had previously abstained from the coddling hours prior.

“No doubt, all of you know what is going to happen now,” Ash began, the nods from his team proving his point, “Whether or not I will continue my journey rests on my final decision. But I don’t want to make this decision arbitrarily. I want to know what you all think. If you continue to be on my team, you will also have targets painted on you. As a trainer, I don’t want anything terrible happening to any of you, so I’m extending the choice to you all as well. If you feel that it is too dangerous for you to remain on my team, and you want to return to the wild or go to Professor Oak’s corral, you are free to do so. I won’t hold it against you if you choose to do so. You are essentially putting your life at risk if you continue to remain by my side. If you don’t want to risk it, you can go. I will miss you, but I know it will be for the best.”

Exactly five seconds of silence followed, before the verdict was passed.

Arion and Agni leapt up onto Ash’s lap, crying and shaking their heads in a firm denial of any intention to leave. Adira and Zarya came up to their trainer, the former firmly placing a bladed appendage on his knee, the latter wrapping an arm around the other leg as a sign of their continued allegiance to him. Absol came forth, and pushed her horn into Ash’s leg, _“Fate and I share a permanent relationship. I will be able to help you prepare for any calamity that threatens to harm you and your brethren. It is the least I can do for saving us all from evil.”_

Ash turned to Luka, who placed a paw over his heart, _“I am your bonded, Ash. Our souls are intertwined by the Aura we share. It will be an unpardonable offence for me to abandon you. You are a force for good, Ash, and I will continue to be your warrior.”_

A smile shakily appeared on the teen’s lips, “Thanks a lot, you guys. Y-You all are the absolutely best.”

* * *

Ten minutes later, Nurse Joy entered the room.

“Good morning, Mr. Ketchum. How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m feeling much better, Nurse Joy,” Ash grinned, “Are the others awake yet?”

“Yes,” the nurse nodded, “In fact, your friends and family are here to see you.”

Joy stepped aside, allowing Delia, Lance, Brock and Professor Oak to enter. Delia and Lance rushed towards Ash, wrapping him in tight, relieved hug. Brock and Professor Oak had their turn upon request. Once the adults were convinced that Ash was firmly secure in the mortal plane and was not about to leave them for the afterlife, Lance dropped the question that was the elephant in the room, “Ash, what is your decision?”

The teen answered resolutely, “I choose to continue my journey, and I will explain why.” With the silence of the others, he continued, “I spoke with my team just before you all came in. Luka had already filled me in on everything that was discussed while I was unconscious during the night, and I wanted my team’s opinion. You see, when the attack on the Anne started, three grunts burst into my suite. If it hadn’t been for my team, I would have had a much harder time dealing with the invaders. My team was partly how I managed to get everyone to the pool deck relatively unharmed. Just by myself, even as an Aura-adept, I will be at a severe disadvantage should I come to face any Team Rocket Executive, or Arceus-forbid, the boss of Team Rocket themselves. But even with the target painted on my back, when I offered my team the choice to leave, each and every one of them refused. They chose to stay by my side, knowing full-well that they will be painting targets on their backs. I cannot let my team down by showing cowardice in the face of adversity. I have given my explanation, and I hope that you will understand my choice.”

Ash kept his expression stonily-neutral, not antagonising his family nor showing any sign that he was going to budge.

Lance was the first to speak, “Ash, you are my nephew, and I will support whatever decision you choose to make.”

Delia sat down next to her son, and lean in close, “As your mother, I am obligated to ensure your safety and wellbeing. I can’t say that I like your decision, but I would be a terrible parent if I do not support you to the best that I could. All I ask, Ash, is that you be extremely careful. Don’t do anything reckless, and seek help when you need it.”

Ash nodded, “I promise, Mum.”

Brock stepped forward, “Mrs. Ketchum, as Ash’s travelling companion, I promise that I will take care of him as well. You can count on me to honour that promise until the time comes for us to part ways.”

Delia smiled, and nodded.

Professor Oak decided it was time to move to the next pressing issue, “Ash, my boy, while you were unconscious, the media has been camping outside the Pokémon Centre the entire time, hoping to hear from you. Officer Jenny and her deputies were able to keep them at bay for the most part, but the reporters have declared that they will camp as long as needed to get your side of the story.”

Lance continued, “Seeing how those vultures are disrupting the everyday lives of the Lavender Town residents, I have negotiated for one reporter to be allowed inside to interview you, Ash, subject to your permission. I know this is extremely sudden, but we’re hoping that you will consent to it, so that Officer Jenny can clear these bastards out as soon as possible.”

This wasn’t a bombshell for Ash. He knew that he would be the subject of a juicy headline because of what he did with Ho-Oh. And while he has never spoken to a member of the press before, if it meant that the residents of Lavender Town could return to their normal lives, he’ll do it.

“Let me have breakfast first and freshen up,” he spoke resolutely, “I will meet with this reporter only with the four of you by my side.”

“That can be done, Ash,” Lance nodded.

* * *

It would be a severe understatement to say that junior reporter Edward Jacobs was nervous.

This was his first major story that he was about to cover ever since earning his journalistic license. By all accounts, he was a small fry, compared to the more established, dare he say predatory big-names who would pull every trick they had in their books, be it ethical or unethical, to get the next big scoop. Jacobs hadn’t even gotten down to Lavender Town as quickly as the others, as his agency didn’t have the budget to cater for immediate transportation.

Ironically, that was what got him hand-picked by Champion Lance (Champion!) out of the dozens of other reporters, to interview the boy who summoned Ho-Oh and single-handedly slaughtered almost eight hundred terrorists in a matter of minutes, the one whom people all over Kanto were hailing as the human embodiment of Arceus.

With Officer Jenny and her deputies holding back the other reporters, all clamouring to be allowed in (some were actually offering bribes or other promised favours), one of the other deputies escorted Jacobs and his camerawoman into a room inside the Pokémon Centre where the interview was agreed upon to take place.

It was an unassuming room, no bigger than a single-occupancy bedroom in any typical modern property, with the curtains drawn shut over the window that was completely covered by black paper as an extra privacy layer.

The deputy stayed with Jacobs and his camerawoman as the equipment was set up. Five minutes later, someone knocked at the door, and the deputy went to answer it. Jacobs felt his breath stiffen as the Champion of Kanto and Johto guided Ash Ketchum into the room, flanked by a woman whom Jacobs guessed was Ash’s mother, the Gym leader of Pewter City Brock Harrison, and Professor Oak.

If the seriousness of the situation was not emphasised before, it most certainly was now.

Ash was dressed in his cape, the same one he wore when he summoned Ho-Oh. A Riolu stood before the teen, emerald-green eyes promising serious injury should Jacobs or his camerawoman step even the slightest bit out of line.

Jacobs released the breath he was unconsciously holding, he could do this, “M-Mr. Ketchum, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He remembered not to overdo the pleasantries, this was not the situation to be seen as simpering or attempting to curry favour. Champion Lance was a no-nonsense man, and his disdain for the more sensationalistic side of journalism was well-known through the region. He had sued news outlets into bankruptcy for predatory journalism and publishing exploitative stories in the past. The last thing Jacobs wanted was to lose his job.

“Likewise, Mr. Jacobs, and a good morning to you too, Ms. Williams,” Ash gave an acknowledging nod to the camerawoman, “I believe you’re on a schedule, so let’s make efficient use of our time, yeah?”

“Very much so, Mr. Ketchum,” Jacobs replied, “Please, have a seat.”

Champion Lance nodded to Ash. The teen broke off from the group, sitting down on the chair opposite Jacobs, while Williams adjusted the framing to get the best angle possible.

“Camera’s rolling, Ed.”

“Thanks Jelena,” Jacobs nodded, before turning to Ash, “Are you ready, Mr. Ketchum?”

“Whenever you are.”

The reporter cleared his throat, before proceeding with the interview, “Mr. Ketchum, can you tell us what you remember of the moment that you summoned Ho-Oh?”

“I honestly don’t remember much, Mr. Jacobs,” Ash replied bluntly, “I only knew what I had done when my loved ones told me what they saw unfold on their television screens, or in-person while on the Anne.”

“Can you tell us how you summoned Ho-Oh?”

“My apologies, Mr. Jacobs, I’m not at a liberty to reveal such information,” Ash shook his head.

Jacobs nodded anyway, “Right, then are you able to tell us how you sprouted your wings, and destroyed the Team Rocket submarines?”

“That, I can tell you,” Ash replied, “I am able to utilise this spiritual power called Aura. Aura forms the essence of every living creature on this planet, but not everyone is able to use such power. It was the evolution of my Aura that gave me the strength to sprout my wings and punish the terrorists for their crimes against the innocent.”

“Mr. Ketchum, are you concerned that by calling Team Rocket terrorists and what you did to all those grunts, you might become a target?”

“I am already a target, Mr. Jacobs,” Ash clarified, eyes hardening with seriousness, “both from those vultures outside of this Pokémon Centre, and the leader of Team Rocket. There is no clearer declaration of war than by summoning Ho-Oh to fight their secret weapon and killing almost eight-hundred of their hired thugs in one fell swoop. I am hardly surprised when, and I stress on the _when_ , whoever this leader is, sends more of their terrorists, or uses the media to come after me and my loved ones. As it is, Champion Lance has already authorised a restraining order against all media outlets globally. No one from these networks are allowed within a fifty-foot radius of me without my explicit consent. Anyone who breaks that order will be dealt with to the fullest extent of Kantonian law. He has also planned for law enforcement to stand guard outside my house and protect my mother from unwanted harassers and potential assassins hoping to get a cheap shot.”

“Understandable,” Jacobs nodded, “But what about yourself? I understand that you were on the S.S. Anne as part of your journey as a Pokémon trainer. Will that journey end because of the threat posed by Team Rocket?”

“Absolutely not,” Ash rebutted immediately, “Mr. Jacobs, I am not stupid to delude myself into thinking that those terrorists who murdered over five hundred innocent people just to steal Pokémon and for sick pleasure would not come after me as revenge for killing their ilk. But does that mean I am going to hide under my bed and cower at any small sound? I am not going to give them any sliver of possibility that I am a coward. For one thing, Mr. Jacobs, I _do not_ regret slaughtering those seven-hundred and eighty-eight terrorists. If Team Rocket thinks they can threaten me by their numbers, they can expect to see me return their corpses wrapped up in neat bows made of their intestines. That is not a threat. That is a _promise_.”

The reporter was silent from the sheer intensity, and the slight blue hue that glowed all over Ash’s form. Clearing his throat in an attempt to compose himself, Jacobs decided that he had the information he needed, “Thank you, Mr. Ketchum. That concludes our interview today.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Jacobs.”

“And camera’s done, Ed,” Williams spoke.

“Officer Jenny’s deputies will ensure that you and Ms. Williams are safely escorted to the League helicopter, which will take you straight back to your studio,” Lance said, “I sincerely hope you will keep your end of the bargain to publish and broadcast this interview first, without passing this on to other news outlets beforehand.”

“You have my word, Champion,” Jacobs swore, “This was an privilege I have every intention of honouring.”

Lance nodded, dismissing the reporter and camerawoman without a further word. The deputy from earlier escorted them out once all the equipment had been packed away. When the door closed, Ash breathed a sigh of relief, “Glad that’s over and done with.”

“You did great, Ash,” Delia smiled.

“Better than I could have done at your age,” Lance remarked, tone laced with pride.

Professor Oak stepped forth, “How about we all grab something to eat? It’s almost lunchtime, and I’m sure we’re all quite hungry.”

That was a proposal everyone could get behind.

* * *

The article was published by mid-afternoon, and was widely circulated among the other news outlets who didn’t have the privilege of interviewing the boy who took on Team Rocket with Ho-Oh and came away victorious. The actual interview footage was broadcasted on the evening news, with the highest viewership ever recorded on the network’s history, surpassing even the live broadcast of the attack preceding it.

Ash dominated the screens, his blunt answers echoing across the region in a defiant attack against the terrorists who attempted to strike fear in the hearts of the innocent.

And in a large office shrouded in darkness, his words played before a shadowy man, unknowingly the target of his verbal attacks.

“…If Team Rocket thinks they can threaten me by their numbers, they can expect to see me return their corpses wrapped up in neat bows made of their intestines. That is not a threat. That is a _promise_.”

The man smirked, ‘Such cockiness. Be careful, Ash Ketchum. I do not take kindly to any arrogant attacks.’

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit on the shorter-side this time round, but I can at least promise that the next chapter will be longer.
> 
> There really isn't much else to say at this point, so I'll wrap up for today. As usual, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care everyone, and let us work for a better future ahead.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017

**Author's Note:**

> First off...
> 
> Let me just say that it has been years since I was part of the Pokémon fandom. However, thanks to the amazing work of OasisLake76 (alolanrain on Tumblr), I have fallen back in and for the time being, unable to escape. From there, I wanted to see if I could try my hand at a canon rewrite of the Pokémon series, with bits from the games added here and there. Oh, and I'm making everyone LGBTQ+ in this story, just so you know.
> 
> Also, I changed the Trainer starting age to 13 because I find it a bit odd that people would allow their 10-year-old children to go off on dangerous adventures by themselves. However, I am open to discussion in the comments section if needed.
> 
> Now, I understand Pokémon fanfics are either a hit or a miss with the fandom, and this one might crash and burn for all we know. But given how deep I am right now...I'm gonna take the risk.
> 
> Anyways, the usual protocol stands. Your honest feedback will be greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care everyone, and stay healthy.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


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